Tainted
by Macx
Summary: Jurassic World: Owen Grady had always had a talent for animals. It ran in the family. Masrani Global recruited him to train raptors. It was a novel idea, something only a crazy or insane person would attempt. Owen wasn't crazy or insane. He knew he could do this, though his grandfather had always warned him: don't get too close. Don't let them connect. Well, too late. Way too late.
1. Chapter 1

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**Since Jurassic World isn't getting its own category right now, I'll post at Jurassic Park...**

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Author's Note: Those who know my past works and have read some of them, know how my mind grabs a little tidbit and goes on a wild run.

Watching the Superbowl Trailer of Jurassic World had that effect (Chris Pratt + raptors = mind blown!).

There is next to nothing known about the movie, about Owen and the raptors (aside from their names, which someone found out through a toy and a cereal box), but it didn't stop my mind from going into overdrive and writing this.

It also finally broke my writer's block.

This is an AU! Definitely! AU, AU, AU!

All speculation, no fact, and a product of a hyperactive mind coming out of hibernation! The movie's coming out in four months, so total and utter fiction here.

You have been warned.

Still reading? Okay, here goes…

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Isla Nublar.

A large, isolated preserve 120 miles off the coast of Costa Rica.

Leased to John Hammond's company InGen decades ago and the planned home to the very first Jurassic Park.

That had failed spectacularly.

Several times.

Now, twenty-two years later and with millions of dollars at his disposal, Simon Masrani, CEO and owner of Masrani Global, had rebuilt Hammond's dream.

Jurassic World.

It wasn't just a tourist attraction. No, the goal had been to combine a biological preserve, a safari, a zoo, and a theme park. It was a luxury resort with hotels, restaurants, nightlife and a golf course. It was a research station where scientist from all over the world came to, studying dinosaurs from all eras.

A futuristic vision. A money machine.

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"So, who got eaten?"

He chuckled at the remark. "It never gets old. Good morning, Professor Grant."

Professor Alan Grant, world-renowned paleontologist, a man who filled university halls across the globe when he held a lecture, smiled.

"Alan. As often as I have to tell you, you'd think it should stick one day."

"One day," Owen agreed. "And everything's fine. Just another day."

"Working with velociraptors?"

"In a way. I'm still studying the same group."

Grant looked at him, face serious. "You can't still be thinking about actually training them."

"Alan…"

"Triceratopes, stegosaurs, yes to almost all kinds of herbivores, but not predators."

"It can be done."

"Because someone trained a mosasaur to play dolphin for a bunch of tourists? Because you can get a t-rex to eat a goat every two hours? You can't compare a raptor to them, Owen."

"Why not?"

Grant sighed. "Where do I even start?"

It was an old argument, one that had been on-going ever since Owen Grady had had the nerve to write to the famous professor and ask for his opinion.

And ever since they had been in contact.

"I'm not talking about stepping into an enclosure full of grown raptors, an established pack, and challenge the alpha for her rank and power."

"You just want to raise baby raptors."

"Yep."

"Insanity."

Owen didn't even react any more. It was so normal for Alan to try and get him to reconsider the idea.

Grant shook his head. "Owen, think about it."

"Constantly. Dr. Wu is, too. I'm in line for two eggs."

"Owen…"

"I'll be fine."

"Famous last words," Alan only said, a resigned tone to his voice.

"I'll call you with updates, send you videos."

Grant had direct access to most of the camera feeds, using them as research of his own, but he hadn't set a foot in the park ever since opening. Masrani Global had invited him and Dr. Delger, even Dr. Malcolm, but aside from Malcolm, no one had come.

"Good luck," he now only said. "I know you'll need it."

Owen shook his head. "It has nothing to do with luck, Professor. Nothing at all."

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"_You have a talent. It's there, runs in our family. We've always been good with animals."_

"_I like dogs."_

_His grandma had smiled. "Yes. And they like you, too. You're a natural leader. You have this knack."_

"_Like grampa?"_

"_Yes, like your grandfather. And his grandfather. It sometimes skips generations."_

"_So Mommy doesn't have it?"_

"_No, Owen. Not like you or her dad."_

"_I'm special!"_

_She had ruffled his hair. "Yes. Yes, you certainly are."_

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Working with raptors.

Training raptors.

Running with raptors.

Raising them like they were nothing but harmless little dogs. Not vicious, cold killers with sharp instincts and a deadly focus on their prey.

Owen Grady had been called all kinds of things, from crazy to suicidal to a pioneer in his field. He didn't care what the staff whispered about him behind his back. He knew he was good. He could do things others wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole while wearing body armor and aiming grenade launchers at the raptor.

There were park wranglers who worked with the herbivores. Not quite gentle giants, but a lot less vicious than a predator. No one was foolish enough to attempt to train a t-rex to do more than to show up throughout feeding shows and munch on her goat. Her caretaker – Laurel didn't want to be called a trainer; that implied she could actually get the rex to do something she wanted – had managed her well so far, but there was no big progress. No one was stupid enough to try and pet her, or be around her when she was hungry. If she got sick, there was no way to treat her.

But Owen had always been fascinated by the velociraptors. Their behavior, their pack mentality, their intelligence.

Some called him the raptor whisperer. It had made him laugh and shake his head. They would watch him from the viewing areas as he worked with the freshly hatched babies, quickly growing into adolescents, and they would murmur to themselves, fascinated and terrified in one.

Some called him an insane s.o.b., someone who would end up as raptor chow and wouldn't really know what had hit him. There were rumors floating around that he had already lost body parts to his charges. Owen could only shake his head and wriggle his fingers at the watchers.

All still there. All toes accounted for. And aside from a few scarred scratches, which was to be expected, he was fine.

And some, actually just a few, watched him with respect and interest, wanted to know about his progress, and they read his papers.

But almost everyone at the park had declared that he wouldn't last a week.

By now it were five years.

Maybe he was bat-shit crazy, he mused as he buttoned up his shirt. Maybe he had to be insane to raise four velociraptors and train them like they were nothing but scaly, over-sized pitbulls.

But people didn't know everything about him. For all their pretense that Owen was nothing but an overpaid park warden, an animal wrangler who happened to have some sensational moments with a pack of raptors, most people had no clue as to what he could do, what he was capable of and how invested he was in this project.

They knew nothing at all.

Owen Grady liked it that way.

The knife went into the sheath on his belt, at his back. Another on an ankle. His gun was loaded but secured.

Raptor Squad, they joked. Grady and his vicious little gang. There had been a manip of the four raptors in leather jackets pinned to his office door one morning, 'Grady Gang' written underneath. It had made him laugh out loud. They actually looked pretty cool in them.

He checked his messages.

Nothing new. Park schedule, staff meetings for the different areas, a heads-up that the Cretaceous Cruise would be short five boats today because of necessary overhauls, and the Aviary would be closing an hour before the park itself. He had a meeting with Dr. Marcus, one of the park vets, and he wanted to drop by the meat kitchens to stock up on supplies for the pack.

Slipping into his jacket, Owen stepped out into the fresh morning sun, listening to the sound of the waking jungle of Isla Nublar.

The forecast was medium temperatures today, with the occasional rain shower, which was normal this time of the year. The tourists might not like it, but that was nature.

Time to get to work.

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"_I bet I could talk to a dinosaur!"_

_At six, Owen Grady had been completely absorbed by dinosaurs. He loved them. He collected them._

"_Let's stay with dogs," his grandfather, an accomplished vet, told him with a smile._

"_Can I be like you, grampa?"_

"_You most certainly can."_

_There was no name for what they did. They were just good with animals. _

_Talented._

_Owen just accepted it. _

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Riding through the theme park while there had yet to be any visitors was almost like a vacation itself. He wasn't the only one. Cars, ATVs and motorbikes were everywhere, delivering or picking up goods and people.

Owen had little contact to the daily mass of tourists, since he didn't run any shows, handled the petting zoo dinosaurs or gave lectures. He worked behind the scenes and he liked it that way.

At six in the morning there were the cleaning crews, pushing garbage cans, sweeping the main street, repairing small damages. A few employees from the shops were already setting up, making sure they had all their merchandize and supplies. The Jurassic Traders shops were prominently displaying rain gear. Today's forecast promised good sales in that area.

Owen parked his bike. He grabbed a cup of coffee from an urn set up for the park employees by one of the restaurants, nodding at the young man behind the counter who was stocking the display case with bagels and muffins.

"Harry."

"Hey, Mr. Grady. Double chocolate chip?" Harry held up a huge muffin.

He chuckled. "No, thanks. Trying to stop the sweet tooth."

"Good luck on that. You don't know what you're missin'. It's just fresh out of the oven."

"Not falling for it."

It got him a laugh. Grady raised his coffee cup in a good-bye and walked. Dr. Marcus was at the mosasaur show area. Right now, with no tourists around, it was just a silent, massive piece of concrete. He nodded at a group of keepers who were on ATVs and pulling a load of fresh food for the triceratopes. He waved and got a wave back.

"Hey, Owen!" Nancy, head of the mosa show and also the main trainer, waved at him as he walked into the lagoon's stadium.

He took the steps up to her two at a time. Nancy Hisada was having her own breakfast that looked suspiciously like an egg, cheese and bacon croissant. She gave him an easy smile.

"Heard the expected figures of today? Close to maximum capacity. Long weekend plus cruise ships and specials."

Owen nodded. He had gotten several mails already, informing every employee of the park of ticket sales of today, ferry capacities, hotel occupation numbers, and so on. There were several companies spending a long weekend at the Hilton and one huge anniversary-reunion-birthday party at the botanical gardens.

It meant close to thirty thousand people throughout the next fourteen hours.

"How are the girls?" Nancy wanted to know.

"Eager for a run."

"Marathon across the island?"

"They need about twenty minutes to cross the island. Won't even breathe hard."

She was about the only person who was genuinely interested in his work with the velociraptors. Working with a mosasaur wasn't exactly a walk in the park. She had raised the mosa from the day she had hatched, but Nancy would never dare swim with her charge.

A huge back broke the water, a fin flapping down on the surface and creating a spray that almost reached up to them.

"Ah, there she is. Good morning, beautiful," Nancy called.

A maw huge enough to swallow her in one opened, showing rows of sharp teeth, then the mosa disappeared beneath the surface.

"Looking for treats. She knows the first show's just a few hours away."

The mosasaur, like the t-rex, had been trained to show up every two hours for the feeding time show. It was always packed and people loved it. The splash zone was immense and everyone was crying with surprise and delight when the mosasaur hit the surface of the lake, creating a miniature wave.

"Doc's in the back?" Owen now wanted to know.

"Yeah, he arrived a few minutes ago to prep the sharks with the supplements."

"Okay. That's why I'm here. See you, Nance."

She gave him a warm smile. "Don't be a stranger, Grady."

tbc...


	2. Chapter 2

His grandfather passed away a month after Owen's eighteenth birthday. It was a blow to the teen, losing one of the few people who understood what it was like to be what he was. He had never told anyone outside his family; he would simply be a freak. Or a liar.

"There are people in the world who have talents. Different talents. Like you and me," his grampa had always said. "Some of them go out into the world and call themselves all kinds of names: magicians, mediums, psychics… Some, like us, don't do that. You don't need to show off to do what you can do best. Just remember, kid: you can get lost. Hospitals have special areas where those who lost themselves spend their time talking to nothing. This is a gift; your talent. Use it wisely."

And never to touch a human being, he had added. Because the human mind was too complex. It would be overwhelming; possibly fatal.

With the loss of the only other person he knew who understood what he could do, something broke inside him.

He joined the Army.

His parents had been shocked, his grandma saddened, but they had let him do what he wanted. It was his life.

Owen ended up working with animals. Military Working Dog handler. For ten years. The education benefits had enabled him to get a bachelor's degree in animal science and biology, as well as get a certification as a health technician. Animal psychology and obedience classes had been offered on top of that.

He was a natural, they told him. One of the best.

And in the back of his mind he still heard his grampa: never get too close. Never surrender your mind to that of the animal. Never get into a pack.

"What would happen?" a young Owen had asked, now at the age of eleven, when his grampa had once again repeated his warnings.

"You won't be able to detach yourself."

"Really?"

"It happened to someone I once knew. She created a bond."

His grampa hadn't explained just what a bond was, why it was so dangerous, and all Owen had always remembered was: don't. Never get too close. Ever.

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Nothing could have prepared him for a raptor mind, though.

Nothing compared to that sharp, cold knot of steel. This awareness of everything around it that was cutting edge and beyond any bird's, even a harpy eagle's. And those had been a challenge to work with when he had spent three months at the New York Zoo.

Maybe that challenge had helped prepare him for the velociraptors. Then again, nothing could have prepared him for that. Nothing at all in the world was like them.

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Masrani Global, through InGen, approached him, tried to recruit him. Owen was twenty-eight, ten years in the Army, and one of the top MWD handlers.

He gave it a thought.

Jurassic World was a unique theme park and zoo-like structure. By the time Owen visited, invited by the company behind it all, it had been open for three years.

He liked it.

This was a one in a million chance.

"We want you for the animals, not as park security," he had been told. "There's a project we've been putting off again and again, mainly because the past handlers declined or left after just a few weeks."

"What project?"

"Training and handling velociraptors."

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Owen started six months later.

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He studied the behavior of raptors, made notes, came up with theories about pack behavior, about ranking within a group, about how they might be able to handle the dangerous creatures without getting anyone killed.

Owen talked to the park staff, to the game wardens, the wranglers, the scientists. He reviewed old footage from the failed park opening decades ago. He buried himself in the data collected on past raptor packs on Isla Nublar or Isla Sorna, on the notes made by people he could no longer talk to because they were dead.

Some of them killed by the very animals he was studying now.

He was even allowed to come along on a heavily guarded excursion to Isla Sorna where the wild dinosaurs still roamed and flourished. The team had tagged some of the herbivores, established more cameras, had picked up samples and counted numbers.

It had been incredible. Eye-opening. And he had wanted to go back there ever since.

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Owen had read every book or publicized paper by Dr. Alan Grant. He was fascinated by dangerous predators and the more he studied them through live feeds, watched hours upon hours of videos, and stood outside their enclosure, on a viewing platform, watching them in the wild, the more he was convinced he could work with them.

They weren't malicious or evil by nature. They were instinctual, like wild animals all over the globe. Get on the bad side of a tiger, get your hand chewed off or your head ripped from your shoulders. Animal handlers everywhere could attest to it.

Size didn't matter. The raptors were three times the size of what their ancestors had been, according to paleontologists. InGen and later Hammond Labs had played around with evolution and made them bigger. It didn't triple their aggression or hunting instincts. A leopard could kill you just like an elephant could, and even horses, dogs or sheep could take your life.

It was a matter of respect.

Your respect for the animal, the animal's respect for you.

Gain their respect; show them who the pack leader was.

Owen could sense them, though just as faintly as all dinosaurs. The herbivores were gentle background noise, the predators sharp streaks that came and went. The raptors more than a t-rex. He never opened up to them, let them closer than he needed them to be.

He heeded his grampa's warning.

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On some days, they were there, waiting for him, studying him in return. One would spot him, warbling cries alerting the pack.

The staff had assigned them numbers. Owen had given them nicknames.

Dot, the pack leader, was always there. She watched him, making soft noises he had classified as non-aggressive. More like a challenge, sometimes quizzical. She followed his every move, cold eyes assessing him. Owen had no idea whether he classified as a threat or just a person of interest to her. Whenever he left she would easily keep up with the bike as Owen drove off, accompanying him to the end of the enclosure.

Spot, named for his guard status, his spotter position, as he alerted the group, was a lot more twitchy, hissing at Owen most of them time, and Dot usually snapped at the other raptor, keeping her in line. Rocket, Em and Kermit were of lower ranks and lingered in the background, but they were a working team of hunters and Dot had firm command over them.

The raptors weren't for the tourists to view. They were kept in the restricted area, for study, for training, to learn more.

Dot waited for him every day.

She remembered.

Owen never set foot inside the enclosure, not even in an armored car.

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Six months into his study of the group, a virus decimated half the pack and the remaining members developed a chronic cough. Dot's nose was encrusted, eyes inflamed, and Owen felt her distress and pain; she was radiating it so strongly.

The raptors had to be put out of their misery.

Dot saw them coming, the warden and the wrangler and the vet, but she didn't move. She just lay there, barely able to raise her head, weak and dying.

Owen was there. Watching. And it was painful to see the understanding in her eyes as they lined up the elephant gun.

It was over in seconds, but he felt the echoes for hours to come.

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He met Professor Alan Grant in person when he attended one of his lectures. Owen had by now read all his books and papers on dinosaurs and the failed Jurassic Park project. The lecture was in San Diego. Owen had to use his vacation days somehow anyway.

Grant once again called him insane on more than one occasion over a beer in a close-by bar. Working with velociraptors was madness, he told Owen.

It would get him killed.

Owen knew he would try it.

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A year into his work for Masrani Global and Jurassic World, three months after the death of Dot and the others, Owen had signed a ton of papers and finally he had been allowed two eggs from an incubator used for raptors only.

One didn't hatch. The other was love at first sight, like with all his charges.

The newly hatched raptor was tiny compared to its adult size. Holding her, Owen looked at the small being, no larger than his hands, and he smiled.

Fully formed. Teeth already there.

He named her Sparks.

He raised the small raptor, taught her, trained her, the connection between them strengthening every day. She was a small personality. Owen used the methods he had learned with the dogs: be calm and assertive, use your own energies, let them feel you were the pack leader.

"All animals communicate with energy, through emotions, intention, and body language," a trainer had once told him. The man had shared Owen's talent. "It's such a universal form of communication that it works across species. Yu don't have to get too close, don't have to be afraid that you can't pull out of a touch. You become the leader of the pack. Not because you are stronger than them, no. You have the bearing, the energy, the calmness and the decisiveness."

Owen wondered what his colleague might think of raptors.

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Sparks died of an infection that was a variation of the virus that had killed Dot and her pack after two months.

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"Too bad," Alan said.

Owen shrugged. "Nature. In a way, at least."

"And you want to try again?"

"Of course."

"Of course, he does," Grant sighed. "You do know they grow into too big versions of their ancestors?"

"Alan…"

"I know, I know. It's hard to put aside personal experience in that matter."

That Owen knew. He sometimes thought about telling Alan what gave him an advantage, what he thought might help him establish himself as the alpha of the pack, but then he remembered his mother's warning. Maybe the professor knew about people with gifts, so-called preternaturals, but maybe he would just stare at Owen and ask about his sanity.

"I've been to Isla Sorna. I've seen them there."

"Not the same breed."

"Nope. They've retained a lot of what paleontologists think many dinosaurs looked like. Some have developed more feathers, too."

They were a sub-species. There had been several families of raptors on the island, looking nothing like the ones Hammond had first introduced, and they were still changing. Evolving.

"And I've studied them, too, Professor."

"Paper and videos don't tell everything. But I suspect you know that."

"I do. Really."

They chatted some more, then Grant had to go to his next lecture.

Owen leaned back in his chair, gazing at the ceiling, thoughts everywhere.

He wouldn't give up. He was convinced that he could train the raptors.

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Hammond Creation Labs was busy analyzing why this strain of a common flu virus was so deadly, tweaking their new batch of eggs to make them more resilient.

He took on the second hatchling two months later, again the only survivor of a whole batch, which was weird and had him wonder about Masrani Global's labs.

Dr. Ira Keller, genius lab guru and Dr. Henry Wu's second-in-command, so to speak, told him that evolution demanded sacrifice. Making new dinosaurs had its price. Not all new batches survived.

Owen took it with a grain of salt. He had no access to the actual papers on How to Recreate an Extinct Species. It was Masrani's best kept secret.

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His new hatchling was different from the first one, her mind more open to him, latching onto the alpha right away. She was born with residual feathers, looking like a partially plucked chicken. Wu told him that they had planned to bring back the feathered versions, though down-tuned because visitors didn't want to see birds. The look didn't take. The feathers kept disappearing as they grew or the babies died within weeks. Some were born misshapen or died inside the eggs.

So new steps were taken.

The little raptor was one of the new versions. A new breed. The best of everything that had come before.

Owen was there, in the incubator room, when she hatched. The initial confusion after hatching immediately made way for the known fast-track scanning of everything around her, and then she had literally logged onto him.

Barely an hour old.

He didn't known what hit him and nothing his grampa had ever told him could have prepared him for that event.

As a child, Owen had loved fantasy books that dealt with the empathic and telepathic, had read them all especially when it was about bonds between humans and animals, even fantasy animals.

"Is that how it is when you get too close?" he had asked his grampa.

"That's make-belief, kiddo. If you touch an animal's mind and can't pull out, you'll lose what you are."

"But how can I lose myself? I'm me."

"And the animal is a personality with a much simpler mind. It's easy to fall into that simplicity. It happens. Especially in a pack."

With the military dogs it had been simple, too. It had been a job.

But this baby… She wasn't like the others. She was actively looking for him. For an alpha.

"Well, hey," Owen murmured to the blue-colored hatchling.

She chirped and warbled and chirruped.

Keller was watching.

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He felt her more and more every day. Blue's mind was not human, not remotely like anything he had ever touched in another animal, though sometimes there was something else there. Intelligence that came close to understanding. Never a real warmth, but the presence as such... it felt strange and alien, but also familiar and welcome.

_Alpha._

It was like knowledge and confirmation.

Owen was the accepted alpha.

He called the hatchling Blue because she had almost blue skin that only later turned the gray-blue of today. The few feathers that had been there had fallen off. They had been blue as well.

Blue grew not only physically but also mentally. Velociraptors were fast, intelligent and highly dangerous, but this one wasn't like the others.

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After a month she was like a tiny, scaly, clawed and fanged dog, always there, always around him, learning lightning fast and even without Owen teaching her everything.

Blue was amazing.

The intelligence, the sheer power behind her reptilian eyes, had amazed him. It had been unexpected to say the least.

He trained her like he had his military dogs. Hand signals and whistles, sometimes verbal commands.

Hand up, palm out. "Eyes on me."

No dinosaur actually understood human language, human words, but they understood the energy and the tone. Blue gave him her full attention and Owen smiled.

Since she was still so tiny and tired easily, Owen carried her around in a satchel. He changed to a backpack after a while because she was incredibly curious, and in the end she sat on top of the backpack, holding on to his shoulder, chirping and chirruping as she took in the huge world around her.

She still had a few feathers, mostly around her neck, at her feet and some on her elbows.

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"Blue? That's Professor Grant."

The tiny raptor cocked her head and looked at the screen, chirping softly. She was smaller than a house cat, but she was growing. She was also just as curious as a cat.

"I see why you called her Blue," Alan a commented.

Blue's head moved back and she tilted it left, then right. Finally she stretched her neck, sniffing at the screen.

Owen smiled and let he explore.

"She looks healthy."

"So far she is." He picked her off the mouse pad.

Alan studied her through the webcam. "Feathers?"

"They're trying out a new look," he answered, trying not to sound bitter. "They're all going to fall out."

Blue chirruped and turned around, looking over the desk for something else to entertain her. Like a little kid she was curious, easily distracted, and she loved to chew on things.

"She grows fast," Owen added. "Eats so much she looks like a football afterwards." He grinned.

He didn't mention the way she had latched onto him, had formed the pack bond.

He wouldn't. He couldn't.

Ever.

tbc...


	3. Chapter 3

Don't get too close, his grampa had told him, but it was hard not to. She was there. Simply there.

When Owen confronted Keller, he reluctantly confirmed that Masrani Global had started to play around with the DNA some more while making the new raptors more resilient to germs and virus infections.

"What did you splice into her?" Owen demanded.

"Nothing. She's pure velociraptor. Well, as pure as we can make any of them anyway. Thirty years ago they looked quite differently. We just gave her a push to expand her cognitive functions and hope to tune down the aggression."

Well, fuck.

"You want to turn them into what? Labradoodles of the dino world?"

"Not at all, Mr. Grady. We always need to modify them, recreate sequences that were destroyed or degraded. You can't just clone a dinosaurs from millions of years old blood. That's make-believe. In doing so, and in perfecting them to not drop dead because of the common flu, we add a few features here or there."

Like size. Or no feathers. Things came and went as scientists worked on perfecting their lab-grown animals to look like the visitors expected them to look, behave like they thought they should. Colorful skin had made way for greenish-gray once more, with stripes or spots for variation. There had been a few feathered versions, but Masrani had wanted the old variation.

So they had gotten it.

None of the dinosaurs at the park were pure-bred, if you could call them that. They were clones from long-dead animals whose genetic material had been found and combined with today's reptiles or amphibians. A lot had been added to the original program, so to speak. And the labs were still working on making a better dinosaur. Too many still fell victim to everyday germs.

"What about the other pack in the enclosures?" Owen asked.

"Still the original version. They are healthy enough and we seem to have that under control."

"You just mixed together a cocktail of genetic information, gave it a good shake and dumped the result into my lap?"

Keller shrugged. "They are your expertise, Mr. Grady. I thought you'd appreciate the effort."

Owen froze.

Keller's expression was friendly, but there was a glint in those eyes, something that told Owen that the man knew; or suspected.

"She already sees you as her alpha, right?"

"Possible," he said, feeling numb.

Keller knew. He had created the raptors to… what? Respond to Owen? No one could do that! You couldn't program an animal to a specific response, to a person. That was learning, training, imprinting!

"Good. You're a talented animal trainer, Mr. Grady. Dr. Wu and I agreed on that. It's why Masrani Global was given such a high review of your character and abilities. Why else would they have entrusted raptors with a trainer?"

Owen's hands clenched into fists. "What kind of experiment are you running, Keller?"

It got him a smile. "None at all. You do behavioral studies on raptors. A scientific analysis on a fast and untamable predator, so to speak. We give you a new breed to work with. That's all."

That was all? He hardly thought so.

"To what end? What else do you want to breed into them?"

"Nothing. But like guard dogs, raptors are useful. Not right now and probably not in the next years, maybe even decade. Their instincts are hard to control."

"You can't tame them!"

"Probably not. But the alpha can tell them what to do, can't you?"

"You're crazy, Keller!"

"Hardly. We already have results."

"Who knows?"

"This is Dr. Wu's personal matter. So aside from the three of us? No one else knows." Keller smiled coolly. "And we'll keep it this way. You're not the only talented trainer here, Mr. Grady, though the only one insane enough to take on a predator. Masrani Global wanted the best for Jurassic World. Why else do you think they chose you?"

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Owen felt like the floor had been pulled out from under him. Someone at Masrani Global had done their homework, had known who and what Owen Grady was, and they had gone out of their way to get him to sign on.

For the velociraptors.

He went back to the enclosure, numb, almost like on automatic, and Blue called urgently to him as he walked into the building, her voice guttural.

"Yeah," he murmured as he let her out of the cage she had to stay in while he was gone. "You felt that, right?"

She chirped.

Keller knew. So did Wu. They had been so incredible cooperative when it came to the raptors, he should have been suspicious.

There might be others like him here, at the park. Masrani wanted talents. In oh-so many ways, but no one had ever gotten this close to a predator as Owen Grady. Every other handler who was hands-on had a herbivore species to train or take care of.

"Why you?" Owen murmured, scratching Blue's head.

There was no answer.

Not yet.

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Owen continued to watch the baby raptor's development, made notes, recorded videos. He pushed the knowledge that some people knew about him out of his mind. He was good at compartmentalizing. Very good.

And this was his job. He wouldn't endanger his charge by threatening to quit.

Blue lost most of the feathers over the course of the next weeks until only a few quills remained on her head and even those looked like they would disappear.

By now Owen knew that his little charge was more than a steel ball of instinct. She was cool primality and still controlled. She was basic emotions and spikes of higher understanding. She learned fast and ceaselessly. She was like a sponge and every training session was remembered the next time.

And she was close to him. She sought out his presence. Blue's mind was rapidly forming connections to him and it was both scary and elating. Owen knew that raptors lived in family groups, in packs, and they shared a connection that was more than instinct. He had learned all he knew now from Dot and her pack. They had this silent understanding, this synchronized behavior, and they regarded everyone else as a danger to them. Outsiders were warned off. If they didn't listen, the pack attacked. It wasn't hunger or maliciousness of their part; raptors were extremely territorial and humans were intruders.

Animals are honest, someone had told him while he was training the military working dogs. They'll show you right and wrong, they'll let you know when you make a mistake. They don't lie. No animal does.

Velociraptors, for all their frightening intelligence compared to other dinosaurs, were still animals. And Owen always knew where he stood with them. He had to watch their body language, react to what he read, and he was fine.

Blue saw him as pack. She was fiercely loyal to him, protective, didn't act too kindly around others, and she warned off people, who quickly retreated when the young raptor was around. She might be no bigger than a house cat, but she had pointy teeth, sharp claws and she was very, very fast.

She never attacked. Owen felt her questions float through his mind: _Prey? Enemy? Chase? Pounce? Warn off? Bite?_

He couldn't really hear the words as such, but from what he received, from what he felt, it was rather clear. They weren't real words, just sensations. Like a foreign language he understood without really speaking it.

Blue didn't understand the concept of a friend or colleague, but she learned to listen to her alpha. She chattered when people she didn't know came by and she hissed angrily at those who watched her with a less than positive air.

Owen felt his own mind expand with her eagerness to learn. It was like this was what his brain had been waiting for and Blue responded to him like… kin.

Again and again her presence approached him, coming to the forefront. He learned to push back.

"No," he told her firmly.

A feeling of cool reptilian disappointment washed through him, over him, and was gone. The presence was still there, but no longer oppressive.

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Blue learned to keep her distance over the connection, though she never left him completely alone. Physically she was always right there, next to him, following him wherever Owen went.

Keller and Wu left them alone, until the day Owen was presented with new eggs.

"New breed?" he asked coldly.

"No, the same. I think she will need a pack, don't you?" Wu asked calmly.

"You think I can raise four of them?"

"I think you can do a lot more. Mr. Grady. A whole lot more, if you set your mind to it."

He could read between the lines and he didn't like it. They were running their own experiment. Not on the raptors, but on him and the raptors. They wanted to know… what? If a talented person could tame or train or control a dinosaur? Sure, it was already working with some of the more even-tempered animals. You didn't need to have Owen's preternatural abilities to get a triceratops to respond to simple commands, gestures or noises.

They wanted to know about the predators, he thought, feeling apprehension at the very idea. They wanted to see if it could be done.

But to what end?

A raptor show? Letting them jump through hoops? No way. This wasn't a circus or Disneyland.

Shows where they fed the animals, sure. Making them do circus acts? Owen would draw a line there. Jurassic World was a unique, one of a kind zoo. Nothing else. Not to mention that the dinosaurs were way too big for such stupid ideas.

So why?

And what if he found out and didn't want to play along? Owen had already reached a point where he couldn't go back. Blue was his; he was her alpha. Refusing to continue the work meant she would probably be put down.

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So he took on the others three months after Blue's hatching. The eggs broke within minutes of each other, the tiny raptors tumbling out.

Blue watched it, fascinated, head cocked, making low, guttural noises as if to encourage her future pack. Owen just picked up one after the other, cleaning them off, setting them under the heat lamp, feeding them their first strips of meat.

Their minds quickly formed a circle around his, interweaving, creating family bonds, creating… something new.

Owen called them Charlie, Delta and Echo. Blue was in charge, but he was their alpha. She corrected the younger ones, hissed and snapped and barked at them, kept them in line and taught them correct behavior. It was amazing to watch her relay what she had learned to the others. They followed her lead, adopted her behavior, her response to his commands, and they eagerly followed the alpha.

Owen had the park vet check them regularly, though they didn't like it. Dr. Lewis Marcus didn't like them trying to bite him either.

"I thought you were training them," he groused.

"They're not machines you can program," was Owen's level reply. "You meet them with tension and fear. They react to that."

Energy. It was all about energy. Marcus was tense and that tension reflected how the raptors behaved.

The vet gave him a dark look, but he tried to relax a little more.

Blue behaved, though she looked annoyed, but Delta, Echo and Charlie were actively trying to bite the latex gloved fingers.

"Girls," Owen said and raised a hand, palm up. "Eyes on me."

They blinked and stopped struggling for a moment, chirruping softly. Their eyes were on him, waiting expectantly. He waited for a moment, then lowered his hand, sending out approval through the bond.

Well done.

Marcus raised his eyebrows. "Well," he only said.

The rest of the shots and brief exams were conducted in relative peace, though Charlie growled a few times. Each time, Owen noticed, had been triggered by Marcus tensing up again. Echo got her teeth on an old glove and kept chewing on it.

Babies.

They would grow out of it.

"You might want to think about collars," Marcus said when he packed up his kit. "They would be better to handle."

"No," Owen said coldly, scratching Echo's head. She had let go of the glove, surrendering it to her alpha.

"There'll come a time when they won't be small and easy to handle. The collar would give you a manner of control."

"We're done," Grady decided and picked up Echo to put her down on the floor with the others, who were milling around his feet, mock-fighting. "Let's go, girls."

They flocked after him, leaving Owen in the lead, and were perfectly well-behaved. He gathered several looks as he led the little gang outside, passing through corridors and past office doors. Delta curiously sniffed the air around the kitchen for the vet staff, but she didn't try to enter.

Good girl, Owen thought. She probably heard it because she gurgled softly, head held high as she stayed with the group.

There was a murmur of apprehension from two keepers, but Owen ignored them.

He just smiled, no humor in his eyes, and gave them a nod.

One of the security guys scowled, hand resting on the gun on his belt. Owen dared him to so much as pull it, let alone point it at his pack. Blue followed his line of sight, visibly displeased, but she didn't even bare her teeth. Her intent was clear, though. She was bigger than the others, retriever-sized, and she was the leader. She wouldn't tolerate aggression in the pack, so she wouldn't tolerate it from the humans who didn't trust them.

"They need a muzzle," the security man, Johnson his tag said, told him evenly.

"Take it up with Masrani," Owen replied.

And walked on.

A collar, a muzzle, maybe even remove their claws… Owen knew there had been talk about securing the raptors, mostly because of Hoskins' opposition when it came to them roaming around freely, but he wouldn't do that to them.

Owen had no idea what he would do if it came as an order from higher above, but he would think of something.

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The order never came.

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People say you haven't seen a rainstorm until you've seen a tropical rainstorm.

Owen had seen his share while working for the park, but this was the first time he had four baby raptors who sought hiding places inside the house. Delta and Echo were crammed under the bed. Charlie had buried in Owen's pile of laundry. Blue was trying to be brave, but she had squeezed herself under Owen's desk. He felt her small body pressed against his lower legs and sighed.

Rain beat down on the roof, loud and still somewhat comforting, though his little pack might disagree. Blue did. Not really vocally, but her distress was clear.

"Okay, girls," he murmured and pushed back from the desk.

Blue whuffled a little, eyes big and scared.

"This'll go on for hours. You guys have to get used to it. You won't always be inside."

He walked over to where Charlie was watching him, a sock on her head, her body almost hidden by his shirts, socks and pants. Owen plucked her out of her hiding place and walked over to the bed. The blinds were open and he had a good view of the fat drops coming down around them. Blue had followed, body low, almost crawling over the floor, and she quickly jumped into the bed next to him and Charlie, snuggling into a corner. Delta and Echo quickly followed.

"It's weather, ladies. Just weather."

The flash of lightning and low grumble of thunder had them squeal and swarm toward him, trying to seek safety with their alpha. The bond was a jumble of emotions he couldn't decipher.

He had long since accepted that he wouldn't be able to stay outside this. He was grounded within them, their alpha, part of the pack, and distance didn't work.

Owen chuckled and stroked over the small bodies. He was projecting calm energy, relaxed and not the least bit alarmed by the weather.

"We have to work on that," he said to himself.

After a while all four started to relax.

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The rain lasted through the night and only stopped early in the morning. For Owen it was a relaxing sound, the drum of fat drops on the roof, water sliding down outside the windows like a waterfall.

The pack finally fell asleep at some time and so did their handler. Owen woke to Blue on his chest, Delta snuggled to his left, Charlie to his right, and Echo curled up on his pillow, against his head.

The bond was a calm, warm something between them and he smiled involuntarily.

Don't open up.

Don't get too close.

Too late, Owen knew. Way too late.

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The four raptors found the muddy ground and huge puddles endlessly fascinating.

Somehow it was like watching toddlers play in mud.

The result was similar. He had very dirty raptors, who were also very hungry.

"Breakfast, hm?"

With that he walked over to the building that housed the pens for the grown raptors to live in. Owen had lived in a trailer when he had come to the park. Outside Jurassic World, behind the scenes in the restricted area, with nothing but open plains around him and the jungle not far away. He had moved into his current lodgings when the house had been finished, and he had kept the trailer just in case he wanted to tow it somewhere into the vast enclosures to study dinosaurs not in the theme park on display.

The velociraptor pen had been there already. It had been used for the first packs, but since the enclosures had been moved to a more secure spot, the old building hadn't been used.

Owen had drawn up plans to rebuild it all and a swarm of workers had made it reality.

Chirping and chittering amongst themselves, the raptors followed him.

tbc...


	4. Chapter 4

It became a common, though still slightly disturbing sight: Owen with his raptor pack of four, following him around like vicious ducklings. They were now slightly bigger than a retriever, but far from obedient dogs.

For Owen the walks through the theme park or behind the scenes in the personnel only areas had a very practical training effect: the raptors learned to listen to him, not to distractions of any kind. Grady needed to be sure that they listened to his voice, his whistles and calls, or followed his hand signals when he was too far away from for them to hear him over maybe a lot of noise.

So he trained.

Again and again.

They didn't attack anyone, just postured and warned off those they didn't want touching them. They took no food from anyone but the alpha. They listened to his commands, though sometimes Delta or Echo went through the trash bins, creating small mountains of garbage chaos. Both behaved like rambunctious teenagers and he treated them like it.

Owen soon had that taken care of as well.

Calm, assertive leadership. He gave them their freedom, but he demanded respect and obedience. He let the pack bond grow, let them get closer.

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Once, as they took a walk through the park after hours, Blue stopped in front of the Gentle Giants Petting Area and cocked her head. Her nostrils blew wide as she scented the air, then she huffed, almost sounding intrigued. Her eyes were on one of the babies.

Her shoulder height was now reaching past Owen's hip. She was the tallest due to her three months head-start, but the others weren't slackers either. The last quills had disappeared, too.

A young triceratops was munching on her dinner and a stegosaurus was playing with a bale of hay. There was a third baby dinosaur, another stegosaurus, but it didn't eat, just nosed listlessly at the pellets. Owen guessed it had to be about two months old.

"Not food," he told the pack calmly.

They chirruped, Blue silent and watchful. She scented the air again. Her interest was on the youngest stego.

"No," Owen said, soft, barely audible to human ears. He reinforced it over the bond.

Her presence was more pronounced, but she accepted his decision, accepted that this wasn't for them.

Food was what Owen gave them, what he told them was good to hunt. Nothing else.

Blue gazed at him, all reptilian coolness and distance. She seemed to be watching him. Then she gave a soft chittering gurgle, looking at the stegosaurus. The others crowded in close, wanting to touch and be touched. Owen petted them and smiled. They were perfect ladies, very well behaved.

One of the petting zoo staff gave the group a careful look.

"Uh, you probably shouldn't be here."

"Just taking a walk. They won't attack the babies."

The man was clutching a shovel and looked like he was ready to use it if one of the raptors so much as looked at the baby dinosaurs like they were dinner themselves.

"Something's wrong with that one," Owen gestured at the young stegosaurus.

"She's just full."

"She's sick."

Blue agreed. Instinct told her that this one was the weakest of the herd, easy prey, and in the wild she would take it down.

"There's nothing wrong with her."

But there was. Blue was insistent and the others were taking an interest in the sick dinosaur, assessing it, clearly aware that it was easy prey. In the wild they would have watched their family pack formulate a plan, distract the parents, then bring it down.

"She's just intimidated by those," the keeper added, gesturing at the raptors.

"Call one of the vets anyway. Predator instinct isn't wrong."

The man grimaced. Owen made a mental note to make that call himself.

"Better feed them before you get them out into the park. You shouldn't be doing that anyway. They're wild animals. They could hurt someone."

"Just get her checked." He turned. "C'mon, girls, time for the evening jog."

Excitement rippled through them and Owen chuckled as they walked past closed food stands that still smelled enticingly to such sensitive noses. Two waitresses smiled at him, waving, but they didn't attempt to make small-talk with the raptors so close by.

Owen petted Delta's neck as she chirruped and rubbed against him.

"Yeah, I already got you," he chuckled. "You're more than enough maintenance."

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They spent the hour before sunset in the Bamboo Forest, the girls exploring the different plants.

Owen sat on a bench, watching them with a smile, always alert for any danger. He had grabbed a boxed pizza, leftover from the restaurant's busy day, and he ate a slice.

Charlie came over, begging for something out of the enticingly smelling box, but he wouldn't be swayed. Instead he took out the plastic pouch with the dried meat he carried around, just in case.

The other three flocked over, chirping excitedly, and Owen chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah." He raised a finger and all fixed their attention on him. "Slow. Eyes on me. Behave."

They did.

Calmness, Owen thought to himself. Calm energy, assertiveness, a mental state that reflected safety and control. It was reflected in their behavior.

And they were fed their treats.

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Owen had trained his little pack to let the vets handle them, check them, even though they didn't like to be picked up by anyone but him. They had to suffer through being held down, turned on their backs or sides, their mouths forced open to check gums and teeth, and blood drawn.

But they endured it.

As they grew from babies to what Owen jokingly called toddlers and finally to still very energetic teenagers and young adults, the park vets became more and more reluctant to get closer than necessary. Checks were done by eye.

"If you think I'm getting any closer to a nearly full-grown raptor than I have to," Melinda Zetty told him as she took notes on their health, "you must be crazy, Grady. Then again you are." She shot him a quick smile. "No one in his right mind trains raptors."

Owen had heard that so often before, it wasn't really anything to react to anymore. He suspected Melinda was talented, too, but he never asked her, directly or indirectly.

"You want me to draw blood?"

"And see you get your head bitten off? No thanks. As long as they look healthy, I'm good."

Raptors were resilient, healed injuries quickly, but they could fall victim to bacterial infections or virus attacks. Owen had taken care to check his four charges regularly; eyes, nostrils, mouth.

Melinda was awestruck when Blue voluntarily opened her mouth and showed off sharp, unblemished teeth, letting her handler touch her chin, and had then stretched out her tongue.

"How did you do that?" she demanded.

"Patience, training, respect."

And the pack bond. He would never tell them that, though.

"She won't attack me."

Raptors didn't attack for fun. They didn't kill for fun. They did it to defend their territory, or themselves, to protect the pack or to hunt food.

"How's the baby stegosaurus?" Owen asked as she made notes on their health.

"She died last night. She had a turned stomach."

That happened in some herbivores, though not too often.

"Carl said you caught it. His guy, Thomas, didn't think it was important at first. Said you were there, with the pack, and they looked at the baby like it was dinner."

Owen nodded, signing the form she held out to him. "They smelled it on her. She was weak, probably already dying, and they know by instinct which animal of the heard is easy prey because it's sick or old."

Melinda closed her bag. "Nothing we could do for her. She was already too far gone. It's too bad." She looked at the four raptors who were watching their alpha attentively. "You've got them really well-trained."

"At least you're not saying tamed."

She laughed a little. "I've been at this place since the beginning, Owen. I know you can't tame a dinosaur. What you do is amazing already, but I'd never call them domesticated or anything like that. Well, I gotta run. Rexy is due for a visual check."

He smiled. "Have fun."

"Here's to hoping she's not playing shy again."

Getting the t-rex out into the open long enough to do a visual check when it wasn't feeding time was a chore. She knew the feeding times and anything offered outside those fixed times was suspicious to her.

Melinda hopped into her car and drove off.

"Well, time for us to get some training done," Owen announced.

Four pairs of alert eyes were on him.

"Good," he declared. "Let's go."

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"All fingers accounted for." Owen wriggled them into the camera and Alan chuckled.

"Good to know. I've been avidly following your progress. It seems you have found a way."

He shrugged. "So far. I'm not losing focus, though, don't worry. I know what they are, how dangerous they are, but it's about respect and strength."

"You're the alpha, the leader, of the pack," Alan agreed. "I still think that you mistake them for dogs, Owen. You can't tame them. They'll learn, they'll understand how easy it is to take you out."

"I'm not taming them, Professor. And a dog can kill a human, too. Or a wolf. There are people who are the alpha of a wolf pack. Others live with bears, hyenas, lions. Have you read the paper on the guy who spent ten years with a group of gorillas?"

"Still not even close to a raptor. I know you worked with harpy eagles, which are the modern day equivalents in my eyes, but the raptors are fast learners, Owen. Be careful. I've had the displeasure of finding out just how intelligent and quick on the uptake they are."

"I am and I always will be."

Alan's expression was doubtful.

They switched topics, talking about just about everything, except the pack.

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He started to take them out with his bike when they were in their adolescent stage and nearly fully grown. The raptors had yet to reach their full speed, but they were getting faster and faster with the training. The bike hadn't been new and they accepted the noise and smell easily. Owen adjusted the speed to their potential.

Isla Nublar's chief of security – yes, the whole island, not just the park – watched him with open distrust. He had loudly voiced his concerns, his downright opposition, to the idea of someone training velociraptors.

"You're setting things up for a catastrophic failure!" was Vic Hoskins' constant argument. "They're animals. Killers. They can't be tamed and they sure as hell can't be trained! They'll turn on you in a heartbeat, gut you and leave not even a bone to find."

He had gone all the way to the top and failed to get Owen's pack either locked up or, worst of all, put down.

Owen stayed out of his way, ignored the open hostility from the InGen security personnel, and simply did his work.

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The raptors picked up on the hostility and rumbled lowly when Vic Hoskins dropped by Owen's place – by chance, by accident, whatever other vague explanation he gave.

Blue watched him, eyes narrowed, body tense, only the steel bars between her and Hoskins. She was radiating distrust and low aggression.

"You'd think I'm your only worry," Owen called when Hoskins surveyed the compound, taking in the secured raptor pen.

"You are."

No security other than the one Owen provided. It was a sore spot for Hoskins, who had his people everywhere. Visitors rarely saw them, but they were there. Armed, ready to apply lethal force if necessary.

Owen knew he had a special status because Masrani didn't ask for InGen cops to hang around his pack, but he was also aware of the responsibility.

"Do you really think dropping by daily will change anything I do here?" Owen asked. "Or dropping not so subtle hints with Corporate? Or writing very open letters about the state of security in this area of the park?"

Hoskins scowled. "Get them to wear collars or muzzles and we can talk."

"It won't change anything." Because raptor claws were enough to disembowel anyone.

Blue snorted, still watching, still tense.

"Those things give me nightmares, knowing they run around free," Hoskins snarled. "Worse than the t-rex or those flying pests."

She raised a scaly lip, showing a bit of tooth. It was like a challenge.

Hell, it was a challenge. Owen felt her distrust, her territorial behavior. She wanted this man gone and she told her alpha quite clearly what she thought.

Owen translated it into "I can take him, just let me out", and he nearly grinned.

"They're not running around free."

"You let them out of the pens, the enclosure, and have your little pack outing fun time," Hoskins said sharply. "If just one of them gets it in its tiny brain that they want to turn on you, you'll be meatloaf."

"They won't."

He laughed coldly. "They're not people, Grady. They understand hierarchy and the law of the wild. We puny little humans are food, nothing else. You wouldn't stand a chance. This," he gestured, "is a house of cards. It'll fall down around you. They'll end you one day. You just wait."

Blue's anger rose and he pushed back along the pack bond, keeping her calm. The other three were just behind the beta, eyes on Hoskins, already formulating a plan of attack should he prove to be a threat.

Hoskins looked at them. He was ready to just shoot them without question and Owen stepped in front of him, blocking his line of sight.

"Anything you want to talk about? The weather? The daily schedule? Sure. Anything else, talk to Corporate. This is my project. Sanctioned."

The other man sneered. Bigger, broader, heavier than Owen, but still no threat. The pack pressed down on the bond, telling their alpha he was stronger and better. They would follow his lead.

Hoskins smiled coldly, then turned and walked back to his car.

"Ignore him," Owen told them as he walked over to the enclosure. "I do."

Blue snarled softly, lips pulled back from rows of deadly teeth, sharp eyes following the silver Mercedes.

"Yeah," Owen sighed. "I know."

tbc...


	5. Chapter 5

It was around that time, when the girls were almost grown-ups, that other trainers and keepers called the four The Grady Gang or Raptor Squad openly. No more manips on his door or in his email. It was almost normal now.

What he still got were the occasional visiting scientists or students gaping at him, arguing safety and sanity, and downright calling him suicidal.

The pack distrusted them on sight and only came closer or even out in the open because Owen whistled a command.

_Outsiders. Not-pack. Intrusion._

X XX JW XX x

"Didn't you read the history books?" one of the interns asked, eyes wide, as Owen watched the four adolescents tear into the carcass of a cow as he stood outside the fence.

He wasn't stupid enough to get between them in a feeding frenzy. Today had been downtime; no active hunting. Twice a week they were allowed to use the restricted area to hunt. Wild deer, goats, sheep, whatever they found. They were becoming skilled stealth hunters, adept at herding the prey to where one of them would take it down. Usually it was Blue. Hunting birds was a challenge and Owen was amused by their antics.

"Raptors aren't tame! No one wants to get too close to them and if they weren't such a tourist magnet, no one in their right mind would have them in this park."

Owen wondered how many times he would have to tell the same story. Velociraptors were just as dangerous as the t-rex, who had been at the park for twenty-five years now. She was fearsome and fierce. People wanted to see the huge dinosaur, came in huge numbers to the feeding times. You could get your eyes gouged out by an angry bird of prey, mauled by a lion or tiger, and drowned by an orca or even a dolphin.

"You know what happened to others who underestimated the raptors?" The intern's voice rose a little as he watched Delta break a thigh bone and chew happily on it.

Owen had heard those arguments often before. He also knew the answers. He was quite aware of the fate of many of the early staff.

"They got killed. They hunt you, stealthily, lay traps, wait, and then they pounce. Just because you raised them doesn't mean they respect you."

Yeah, he had heard that enough times, too.

"They're animals!"

They were, yes. But their intelligence was higher than anyone knew. Owen had more of a connection than any of the other trainers or wranglers. It was his secret, the secret to his success.

"You can't trust those things. They're the worst. A t-rex is more under control than them!"

Owen ignored them all. He knew what he was doing. He did it with respect and caution, always on his toes, and he was more aware of them than anyone else could ever be. He was balanced, grounded and calm, projecting all of that in the way he interacted with the pack.

Blue was amused by the others, by their fear. Prey didn't fear a sated and full predator. She could walk among the prey and they would only look at her, knowing she wasn't hunting. But humans always feared what could kill them, what was stronger and more powerful.

Owen stood outside the paddock, looking at her as she enjoyed the midday sun, her thoughts lazy and flowing, but there was always the sharp watchfulness.

Delta gurgled quizzically and Echo padded over to him, snuffling a little. Charlie was playing with a large bone, chewing on it. If she wanted, she could break it in half just like her sister had done.

X XX JW XX x

At eight months they were fully grown.

The park operations manager, a woman called Claire Dearing, told him that if he took them out of the paddock they needed to be muzzled now. Owen had stared at her, hard. She had given him this cool look, one that spoke lengths. Dearing was more than just the typical manager type, one who had been promoted to look good and represent. She was a paleogeneticist, had worked for Masrani for a while now, and she knew her stuff.

She also had a clear preference for white clothes. Owen had never seen her wear any other color.

He had finally given in because it was the easier way.

So now they had to wear muzzles that had been reinforced with Kevlar because normal leather was easily torn with the sharp claws. None of them were happy about it; Owen understood only too well.

The muzzles came off when they were out hunting after opening hours, in the restricted area or in their enclosure.

Dr. Marcus was a much happier vet when he came by and the four raptors were 'secure', though their sharp talons were just another danger. At least they wouldn't try to bite his fingers off and Owen left them in the special stalls that resembled revamped cattle squeeze pens when the doc did a brief exam.

It was all make-belief, smoke and mirrors. A muzzle didn't make those four any less dangerous, but it calmed nerves. The treatment pen immobilized them, but if one of the girls wanted, she could start twisting and turning, using her claws, and harm their vet.

Blue was amused by the change in the other human's behavior. She was quite aware how easily she could still snap a neck or tear out a throat, let alone disembowel with her sickle-claw.

Delta watched Marcus with undisguised distrust. Charlie rumbled warnings the moment he walked into the raptor stables. Echo was more curious than hostile. Blue would just watch him, head held high, eyes never leaving him. Owen would keep a wary eye on his girls; just in case.

Nothing ever happened. They were perfectly well-behaved. He had seen worse with other dinosaurs. Melinda had once told him that a dimorphodon had nearly taken a finger off when she had tried to look into its throat because it had had problems swallowing. She had gotten a hard, bony wing to the head that had left a welt, and her jacket sleeve had been shredded.

x XX JW XX x

Owen had claimed his own area where he trained his young adult pack. It was outside the tourist routes, a long way into the backcountry, and only accessible by bike and on foot. Dearing had even put the area on the island map as off limits to visiting scientists, interns or curious keepers. To Owen it looked like a nuclear test site. There couldn't be more warnings pasted all over the place.

Well, whatever worked. As long as Hoskins didn't insist that they build a fence around it.

This was also the place where the original Jurassic Park had once been, now just ruins and reclaimed by the jungle. Twenty-two years were more than enough time for nature to overgrow civilization's footprints.

The pack explored the ruins, the old stables and broken fences. InGen had torn down whatever hadn't been destroyed already. There was nothing left. No personal items, no rusting machinery, no lab equipment. Just rotting walls and broken dreams.

The old ferry landing had given in to the relentless waves of the ocean, torn into the water, just a few stumps remaining. The signs were on the ground, overgrown and rusting.

Owen tirelessly worked on hand signals and whistles, using what he had learned about sheep dog training and adjusting it to raptors. Since he couldn't always see them in the high grass when they hunted, whistles were the perfect way of communication.

Their yips and rumbles answered him.

Blue was the first to make a whistling sound, which startled Owen and he had stared at his beta. Blue just cocked her head, huffing.

_You shouldn't be so surprised_, she seemed to say. And in a way, in the back of his mind, that meaning was projected.

Blue was the well-known, sharp presence that watched over the younger ones, stopped them with a growl, a snap, a snarl, when things got out of hand.

She had imprinted in a way that was beyond natural and he had dropped his guard.

Now she was there. To stay.

In the beginning, there had been just random projections. Owen had been unable to actually tell what was going on. Then he had learned to tell them apart, to recognize patterns. And then something else had happened. He had felt a kind of new intelligence behind the presence. Strong, protective, feral, aggressive and territorial. The intelligence understood, though it still needed to learn, but it understood.

Owen gazed at her.

Her cool, yellow eyes met his.

And her mind was there, reptilian logic, fast as a bird, always awake and aware of everything around her. Some called dinosaurs reptiles, but they were more like birds in some regards, especially the predators.

Blue was a highly dangerous animal and Owen knew it. They all were.

To anyone but him.

He had watched them playfully prey on staff workers; none of them were aware of it. He had caught their basic emotions and he had always stopped them.

Humans were off limits. Completely.

Blue had accepted his decision. She was learning human emotions from him. And she was leaning communication.

Yes, he had made a mistake and he was now too close, but there was no changing that.

After three years now, the pack was more than raptors; mere animals. He was more than just their handler.

They communicated; they were in his head. He was surrounded by them, grounded in their pack bond, a strong presence that reined them in no matter what.

They understood human communication to a degree, discerning emotions, though not the words as such. Owen had caught Blue reading signs, though the words escaped her, the writing as such she seemed to be able to remember. She could distinguish repeated words like 'danger', 'employees only', 'stop' and 'exit'.

And she was rapidly adding more.

Owen knew this was special, that their connection was special.

The others learned through their beta. They adapted, they were intelligent, and evolving.

None of them were tame. None of them were fluffy little bunnies. They ate fluffy little bunnies as appetizers before tearing into a cow. He felt their viciousness, their hunger when on the hunt, their cold, calculating logic, the reptile brain. He had been pulled with them more than once, had felt their hunts in his mind, had been there for the kill, and he suspected Blue did it on purpose.

She knew he was human, weaker than them, but his mind was so much stronger.

Claire had called him an idiot more than once for trying this, for standing next to a raptor that could just as well slice him open and feed on his body. As park operations manager she was in charge of Jurassic World and all its animals and employees, but Owen wasn't part of the show. He was on of the researchers and his work had been sanctioned from high above.

Blue's amusement came tenfold at that thought that one of them would treat Owen like prey. She rumbled, soft clucking gurgles underneath the low.

_Pack_, she told him. _Alpha._

Off limits. Leader, protector, to be protected.

He looked into the reptilian eyes and she snorted softly, brushing past him with deliberate care, jostling him without trying to topple him. He let a hand rest on the sinewy, sleek form, sliding over gray-green scales.

She was beauty and death in one.

She was his.

They were his.

His pack.

Tbc...


	6. Chapter 6

He was in the corral, his posture alert but still loose enough to show he was at ease with the situation. The morning air was already warm and promised to grow even warmer as the sun rose higher. It wasn't as humid as a few months ago.

She liked the humidity, how it felt on her skin, how it clung to her. It was a time where few park visitors came because of the weather, where everything was calmer, where he was chasing through the dense jungle with them.

Three shapes lithely jumped into the corral, moving like the born predators they were, jaws opening to display sharp teeth, claws flexing.

Circling.

Getting a feel for the situation.

He held out both arms, palms open and cautioning.

"Eyes on me!"

It was a command and despite the way the middle one ducked as if to jump him, it didn't.

"Good."

The snarls sounded vicious to the untrained ear. They were nothing but mere complaints that the alpha was late. It was playful, though the other humans usually couldn't distinguish playful from clear warnings.

She snorted, nostrils wide, taking in the smell of her pack and the smell of the alpha.

Owen. They had learned his name, the one the others used for him and she kept referring to him as Owen as of late. He was the pack leader. She was his beta. She was in charge when he wasn't there. She was trusted and strong. She was the oldest and the alpha had chosen her.

Blue watched the others, the pack, circling their alpha, chattering.

"Girls, take it easy, okay? We got two hours till opening and I promise a run. I know I'm pretty late this morning. Just give me a sec."

Blue moved closer almost noiselessly, but he heard her. It was an awareness the other humans didn't have. The others watched the pack with distrust and fear. The alpha wasn't afraid.

The pack snapped out of their playful hunting moves and stepped back, showing respect.

The alpha glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, never letting the others out of his sight. A good choice because young adults were unpredictable when they were so full of energy after a boring night. While Blue would snap and snarl to get them into order, the alpha's very presence kept them in check, commanding and firm. He wouldn't let them overrun him, nor did he allow disobedience. While he might appear weaker, with no teeth and claws that could hurt them, he wasn't to be underestimated.

Blue was closer to him than her pack mates, making her finely attuned to the shifts within him, and her control was honed and down to a spot.

_Run, run, run._

It was a chant in her mind, her instincts flaring, and she snapped at them to be silent and listen.

Owen quirked a smile. She knew how to read him, how to read humans. She also knew so much more, had learned so much, and he still taught her. He didn't fear her evolution, but the others did. She knew they warned him about how dangerous her kind was, how intelligent, almost too intelligent, they seemed.

He didn't mind that they were nothing alike.

He had never treated them as monsters, simply with respect, demanding the same in return.

Blue knew they weren't the first, simply the first pack that was trusted, accepted, worked harmoniously. She knew there were others at the park, in enclosures for tourists to look at. Behind highly secure bars, animals in a cage, and definitely not pack. Sometimes the alpha went there to study the others and she made her displeasure known to him, but the pack was not allowed there.

She was a strong leader. He was a strong alpha. He had fought for them. He fought for them every day. He led and they followed willingly.

"And good morning to you, too, lady," the alpha now said.

His touch was welcome on her skin and she tilted her head a little, let his palm rest on her blunt nose. It was as much a gesture of trust as it was a traditional greeting. It had been this way since she had hatched.

Her nostrils flared, taking in his scent. It was calming, reassuring.

Owen had been the first one she had seen. He had been there, no one else. He had fed her, raised her, taught her, taken her with him wherever he went.

She had been the first he had felt in his mind.

He was the first and only human Blue could relate to like this. He wasn't like her and still he was their alpha and pack. He was different. They were all different.

And the alpha was able to touch something in the pack, commanded them in a way only another of their kind could.

Special. Pack mate.

Blue had no interest in the others, tourists or staff, scientists or journalists. None of them heard her, felt her. None of them were pack bonded.

Nor did Owen relate to the others like he did to his pack. Blue's kind connected on those same levels, created bonds between family members and pack mates. For her it was natural; for him it was new and still so easy to have.

"Ready?" he now asked.

Of course. They were always ready.

_Run, run, run_, the pack pushed forward.

Echo chittered, lowered head, curled claws, nostrils widening, scenting. Owen nodded and scratched her jaw line.

A burst of pleasure ran through her.

The other two, Delta and Charlie, crowed, wanting their own scratches, and the alpha complied, then turned to Blue, who was watching closely. The air around them seemed to vibrate with unreleased energy, with the tension just before a burst of strength let them start running. Eagerness suffused the bond, the push-pull pressure, the excitement to get into the open and chase.

Blue followed him to the bike Owen used to keep up with them, to chase them, to be chased, to work on their endurance, their sprints and more.

The others waited, restless, tense, but obedient.

Catching a scent, Blue turned her head and looked at the approaching woman in white.

Blue had no real opinion on humans, just her alpha, but this one had her hackles up. She gave a low, barely perceptible rumble. The alpha heard her, of course. He was right next to her and his mind was open, the connection flowing back and forth. She enjoyed that time, when he didn't shield, when he didn't pull away, when she was right there, next to him and equal.

Owen rested a hand on her sinewy neck, calm and controlling. She felt his energy, his assertiveness. There was no doubt in him, only strength. His eyes followed Blue's line of sight and he nodded at the woman.

"Ms. Dearing."

"The park opens in two hours, Mr. Grady," she called.

The pack made unhappy noises, hissing and snapping, glaring at her for interrupting the morning ritual.

Their alpha raised a hand, signaling sharply to stop the unwanted behavior, and the three quieted down, snorting, shaking their heads in dismay.

"I got a watch," Owen simply said. "It's off season anyway. We'll be at the other end of the park where no tourist comes."

"Don't forget the muzzles."

Blue raised her lips, revealing a row of white teeth, hissing. The woman looked startled, then intrigued.

"I won't," Owen replied.

So the muzzles were put on. All four of the pack were less than happy about it, but they complied with their alpha's commands. Owen gave them all a pat, rubbing his palm over each nose.

He started the engine and Blue felt excitement slither through her, amplified by her pack.

_Run, run, run._

"Yeah, we're going for a run. Pack time today. Nothing else on the agenda."

The pack hummed with approval, aware what it meant.

Blue met he alpha's eyes, so unlike her, the alpha so unlike any of them. And still, he was their leader and they would always follow. He wasn't prey. He was a predator, he was in their pack mind, he took control and he protected them.

"Go," he murmured, barely loud enough to hear, but they all heard him.

The connection was alive with the roar of excitement, of pleasure, of anticipation.

The gates of their enclosure opened and the alpha rode through first, the pack following.

"Take the long road," he said.

Blue acknowledged, her yip directing the pack, and then powerful legs ate up the distance, their speed unrivalled by any of the others on this island. Charlie and Delta stretched their necks, streamlined blurs in the foliage, followed by Echo. Blue tore off to one side, Owen at her side, both in sync like it should be.

A feeling of content freedom rippled through him. Power, strength, territorial feelings...

The roar of the bike was well-known in the forest. Small birds and flightless prey took off, away from them. Charlie playfully snapped at a four-legged beast, but it jumped away.  
They weren't running to feed. That would come later. When the alpha told them.

Blue felt the excitement rise and Owen grinned at her, aware of her emotions.

She snorted, increasing her speed, right ahead of the alpha now, feeling the thrill of it, being chased and chasing in turn.

"You gotta run faster, girl," he called and opened the throttle, shooting past her.

She bellowed.

_Challenge. Yes. Faster. Catch me._

Blue took to the undergrowth, tearing through, following wildlife paths, the pack everywhere, and then Owen was suddenly behind her and she yipped in surprise.

They burst through the trees and into the open grasslands, and he stopped, exhilaration like a living thing everywhere around him.

The others playfully chased each other, barely out of breath, playing hide and seek.

Blue nudged his shoulder and he scratched her jaw. Her breath shivered over his neck and head.

Owen whistled sharply and the others trotted over, expectant. The muzzles were taken off. Relief spread through the bond and the alpha chuckled.

"Yeah, I know. But those are the rules." He looked at Blue. "Take them further. I'll go around to check on the enclosures."

She whuffled, the breath disturbing his hair, then bellowed, telling the pack to get going again. Sometimes Owen took her with him for patrols through the restricted area, sometimes it was just her and the pack. She wouldn't take them too far from him, always alert, always keeping an eye on him.

x XX JW XX x

They headed back late in the afternoon. The heat wasn't too oppressive and a slight breeze touched the tall grass.

The pack moved leisurely, bickering a little among themselves, but there was no sharp alarm or aggression.

Owen took them along the road winding through the park. Usually the wardens came out here by car, but right now they were alone. The others knew he and his pack were here and gave them a wide berth. The raptors didn't like other humans that close and the humans agreed. No one wanted to get to know them up close and personal.

Stopping next to the viewing platform for the t-rex enclosure, Owen took out his binoculars and scanned the area. He caught sight of the massive female not too far away, almost hidden among the trees.

Blue rumbled softly, shaking her head a little. Her claws flexed and Owen felt her discomfort.

Raptors and the rex didn't mix. They disliked the much larger predator almost as much as the staff disliked the pack Owen had raised. The rex was dangerous to them and she was competition for food.

Blue growled, almost impatient, glaring at her alpha.

"Relax," he told her. "Just checking."

Everything looked good and he gave them the mental nudge to head for the feeding area. Mostly they were given already dead and gutted animals, but once in a while they could hunt. The prey never saw them coming and was hardly aware of dying.

Owen had learned that instincts like the hunt were hard to train out of a raptor and it was better to give in once in a while instead of suppressing everything. It only ended in tears.

x XX JW XX x

They came back full and pleased, minds docile, almost sleepy, and the four raptors trotted into their pens without protest.

There was still blood on their snouts and claws.

Owen removed the muzzles the four had reluctantly let him put on as they had left the restricted area. He gave each nose a quick rub and patted the long, sinewy necks. Blue he scratched under her chin, drawing a pleased rumble.

"Fuck, that's terrifying," one of the workers muttered.

There had been some issues with the solar panels on Owen's house and they had come to fix it, just done in time to see their return.

Owen stood close enough to hear it. Yes, it was terrifying, but no more than a lion showing bloodied paws and lips from his recent kill.

The worker hurried away to whatever he was supposed to do now and Owen returned to his office to go over his papers.

Blue was a background presence, relaxed, at ease, almost mellow, if a velociraptor could ever be mellow.

x XX JW XX y

Owen held up both hands, showing ten fingers when the Skype connected. It was by now his standard greeting. Once he had switched to the Vulcan greeting and Alan had lost it, laughing so hard.

Alan grinned. "Okay, I believe you. Tell me about your work."

He did.

Grant nodded, asked questions, wanted in-depth reports on the behavior of each raptor.

"I'm still amazed," he finally said. "I wouldn't have thought it possible. Ellie said you might work your magic, but I wouldn't have given you more than six months."

"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence. After three years."

Alan chuckled. "We're talking about raptors, Owen. As large as a pony and with a very aggressive disposition."

"We're pack."

He couldn't say more without making it sound ludicrous. Even that declaration sounded… strange. Not to him, but if he thought about it, what an outsider might hear.  
What else could he say?

I can hear them, feel them, have bonded with them. No, not just a friendly bond but one that only a preternatural can form. Yes, I'm not normal, Professor. I'm empathically connected to a bunch of prehistoric lab experiments.

Owen couldn't say any of it out loud, but he and Grant had discussed paleogenetics and the way the Labs cooked up new and different versions of the dinosaurs in the park.

Everything was possible.

"Be careful your beta doesn't start usurping your position," Alan now said, expression serious. "Pack hierarchy protects you only so long."

"She won't."

"She's not human, Owen. Don't make that mistake, please! Velociraptors, for all their intelligence, are still animals at the end of the day. They'll follow instinct to the end. You can't argue leadership with her."

Not in a way a human would. But Blue wasn't plotting or scheming a take-over. She was a solid, grounding presence that got as much out of this pack bond as Owen did. She was the leader of their pack in raptor terms. Owen was their guardian and alpha when it came to the outside world. There was no argument between them. Blue stepped back when he was there, but she was in charge when the pack was alone.

Easy.

And it worked.

Owen was so much aware of them, even when he wasn't physically with his pack, he knew what their individual condition was, if they were tense or relaxed, tired or hungry.

"Be careful, Owen."

"Always."

He was more concerned about what the Labs did than what his pack might be up to. Their thinking was straight-forward and clear. Hammond Labs was concerned with making money and attracting new visitors. There was no limit to computer modelling, but whether or not a simulation would play out in reality was a different matter.

They had played around with the velociraptors already. What else could and would they do?

Owen was sometimes disturbed by his own imagination.

Tbc...


	7. Chapter 7

For the past weeks Owen had felt a strange kind of pressure growing in the back of his head. It was like a mind pushing in, like something intelligent and hungry, something primal, like Blue and still not like her. It was more violent, not at all pack, barely even a raptor.

There was a whispering sound, like a very distant voice, a language he didn't understand. Gibberish.

It was nothing he had ever encountered before.

A foreign intelligence; not human, but malicious, a sharp intent anchored deep inside, seeking an opportunity to be unleashed, always thinking, thinking, thinking.

Owen pushed it away. Maybe he was coming down with something. Maybe one of the others had a bad day. The t-rex had them now and then. Owen could feel her. Since taking on Blue and later the rest of the pack, his abilities had expanded; evolved. He was aware of some of the more volatile predators, the herbivores a steady hum in the background, but now and then something broke through.

It was eerie and new; sometimes it terrified him. Whenever he thought too deeply about it, the horror of what he had let himself do came through. That was when the pack closed ranks around him, forming a protective wall.

_Ours._

He smiled dimly. Yes, mine.

x XX JW XX x

Late in the evening, after closing, Owen walked along the path that led past the t-rex paddock. It was the road only staff used. No tourists could come here.

The rex was fed and pleasantly tired. She watched him lazily, though the alertness was there. She would be able to spring into action if threatened.

Josh was there, closing up his shack.

"Hey," Owen greeted him.

Josh nodded at him, then glanced around, almost nervous. "You didn't bring them with you, right?" he asked, trying to sound humorous.

"Nope. You know the rules," Owen replied with an easy smile.

The pack was no longer a bunch of sharp-toothed toddlers. He hadn't taken them anywhere inside Jurassic World for years.

"She doing okay?" he now wanted to know.

The strange pressure was still there. Not invasive, but watching. Something developing, something growing, something… plotting. It was like a headache about to come on, something he didn't need a painkiller for, but it could develop into something really nasty.

"Yeah. Same as usual." He glanced at the massive security doors. "A bit nervous this morning. No clue why. Like she was smelling another rex." He shrugged. "Kept marking her territory, but she showed up for feeding and did okay."

The t-rex gazed at him, cocking her head, then snorted and walked off again.

Owen nodded. "Well, good night," he only said.

He grabbed himself dinner to go and got on his bike, going back to his house.

x XX JW XX x

TV was a distraction, as were the reports he had to get into order and a brief chat with Alan. Still, the pressure, which had lessened a little with the distance to the park, was there.

Owen went out to the paddock after dark and listened to the rustle of the pack as they moved around, soft snorts and whuffles accompanying them.

Blue stopped next to the steel bars and he rubbed over the small part of her muzzle he could reach.

"Something's not right," he said softly.

Agreement floated through him. She blew warm air against his fingers.

"Maybe I need a vacation," Owen sighed.

A day at the Hilton. Relaxing. Swimming in the pool. Getting a massage.

Yeah, that about sounded right.

x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x

For the next week it was an on-again, off-again sensation. It wasn't like one of the pack, but it was there. Like a sixth sense feeling.

It was by now also reaching the raptors. Owen suspected it was because of the pack bond, because no other dinosaurs at the park were reacting this strongly to something no one could put a finger on. The t-rex had apparently mostly quieted down, though Josh said she seemed a bit more twitchy.

Not the pack.

They were getting antsy, and not in a good way.

Delta was moody, butting heads with Charlie, and Echo was a lot more nervous. Blue radiated tension, patrolling their enclosure relentlessly, and Owen had trouble keeping the pack in check.

"Eyes on me," he told the pack, reaching out and firmly reining them in.

They snarled and were clearly displeased.

It was by now dangerous to get too close to them when they were this obviously unbalanced, and Owen had started to change his approach. He used his abilities in a way he had never before, actively approaching them, commands issued through the connection they shared, and he wouldn't let any of them get out of line.

There had been more scuffles than before and Blue was barking and snarling at the lower ranks.

Echo darted forward, but Blue was there, jaws closing around her neck with a roar, pushing her away. Echo toppled and Blue kept her down with a powerful, clawed foot on her ribs. She growled angrily.

Owen snapped a command at the other two. Charlie and Delta whined, moving back, heads lowered submissively. He reached out for Blue, told her to let the lower-ranked Echo up. His beta stepped back and joined him, shaking her head like she was trying to chase away whatever was pushing in on them.

Echo got to her feet, head averted, looking shaken. Like she didn't know just why she had suddenly attack.

Owen studied the confused raptor. "I know," he murmured.

Something was here. Something new. Something that was seriously upsetting the pack balance.

He had to find it.

Blue shadowed him as he walked over to the exit, then bumped her muzzle into his shoulder. Owen expelled a breath and turned to look at his beta.

Her expression was almost serene. She rubbed her nose against his cheek and Owen reached up, curling an arm around the maw full of sharp, dangerous teeth that could so easily tear him apart.

"Something's going on," he whispered, looking past the lithe, deadly animal and to where the others milled.

Blue rumbled her agreement, a powerful presence next to him, physically and mentally, and he felt her front paw push him lightly toward the exit.

"That bad?" he murmured.

She rumbled again, a warm, heaviness surrounding him protectively.

Owen knew that this interaction, right now, in this moment, defined what was between them. Again, Blue pushed, careful with her razor-sharp talons.

"I'm going. Keep them in line, but leave them in one piece."

She snorted as he let go of her.

Owen turned his back to Blue and left the paddock.

x XX JW XX x

Blue's strong presence stayed with him for the rest of the day. The other three had calmed down, though Echo was shunned by Delta and Charlie for about an hour after the incident. Blue let her join them only after this period of time, making it clear how Echo's behavior had been perceived.

Owen didn't even try to push his beta away. She was his anchor, chasing away the otherness, the strangeness, and he fell asleep balanced and grounded in her sharp, logical mind.

x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x

The new intelligence didn't disappear.

It got worse.

Especially with the raptors.

x XX JW XX x

Blue started to become restless even when they were on the other side of the island. She was looking for an intruder that she couldn't see, but she sensed it.

She and Delta nearly got into a fight and Owen used his power as alpha to stop their growing aggression from becoming furious anger. Charlie had snarled at them all and Echo had hissed at everyone and everything for the next hour.

x XX JW XX x

When they hunted it was with a viciousness that had never been there before. Prey was brought down and then defended against pack, blood dripping from bared teeth. They were confused by their own behavior, intensely territorial, and it was hard to get them to return to their stable.

Owen had more than one incident where only his years of training saved him from losing a limb. Every time the raptors snapped out of it when he pushed against their focused minds, but it was like holding on to shards of glass.

It hurt.

But he didn't let go. Letting go was a weakness and right now he couldn't show it.

_Alpha_.

Blue's mind cleared and enveloped him, grounded him, and he straightened. Calm and assertive, that was what he had to be. No second thoughts.

Alpha, he agreed. It was his job to keep them under control, to be their leader. He had protected them, he had trained them, and now his strength would keep them in line.

Blue rumbled softly, still drawn between instinct and understanding, but he held her. She seemed to apologize, confused as to what had happened once again, and he couldn't explain it.

Something new was growing. Something new was about to be born. And even now, in those development stages it was in, it was fearsome and terrifying.

Eyes on me.

x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x

The whole mess with the pack and the strange, new presence intruding into their territory also meant new and worse headaches. Owen was limited in his abilities, but with his pack it had become more. They were tightly interwoven. He had evolved like the raptors had evolved, and he felt it. He was too close to them, on their wavelength, so to speak, and they pinged off him.

It was a vicious circle that was steadily getting worse.

"Damnit," he cursed, rubbing his temples.

Blue snarled, jaws snapping shut not far from his head. She had been on edge since this morning and there was no clear trigger as to why once again. She was bewildered by sudden bouts of irritation, but the surges overpowered the more rational part.

She projected increased… threat. Felt threat. Threatened. She had no idea why and it made her and the pack suddenly very dangerous on a whole new level. If the beta was this distracted and easily threatened, the others would run out of control, too.

_Something out there, hunting. Hunting for… us. For you._

"For me?" he echoed.

She barked, furious about this, about the strange presence.

_Mine. Ours._

Whatever it wanted, it was growing every day and it was threatening.

Owen took them deep into the restricted area, let them run and work it out, let them hunt to their hearts' content, but the balance was still upset.

x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x

"After ten years of operation, visitor rates are declining. Corporate mandate was to find a new attraction to re-spark visitors' interest. We have learned more in the past year from genetics than a century of digging up bones. A whole new frontier has opened up. We have our first genetically modified hybrid!"

Owen wondered about the sanity of mankind. Well, more like the sanity of one park operations manager named Claire Dearing.

"So you went and made a new dinosaur? Probably not a good idea."

Dressed, as usual, completely in white, the woman gave him a cool, calm smile. Detached, even. This was someone more interested in the numbers at the end of the day, about staff meetings and corporate success than ethics and rational thinking.

A new dinosaur.

A hybrid.

Made up of traits visitors liked in others of the species. Something highly aggressive and volatile, an apex predator that surpassed the t-rex in size and fearsomeness.

Just to show it off, like a museum piece, like something a kid had stuck together out of different toys.

For show. A circus clown, Owen thought, feeling cold, filled with dread. A lethal, uncontrollable circus clown.

Owen had sensed her, that coldly calculating mind, and it was frightening him. This was a horror made in a lab from scrap, not something born. No one had raised it. It had grown and been woken recently.

Now they were trying to control and understand it.

"Leave that worry to us," Claire now said.

He met her eyes, then just nodded once. "Sure."

He had an explanation for the sensation in his head now. It wasn't something he was at all comfortable with. He also hadn't mentioned his sensitivity to the new dinosaur. Instinct told him to keep his mouth shut, that someone was just waiting for him to lose a word about it.

So now he had finally gotten some real answers.

After asking the right questions and not letting up.

It was an answer he didn't really like, that left a bad taste in his mouth.

Indominus Rex.

They had given it a name and Owen found out about it just a few weeks before matters started on a steep downward spiral.

They would take it out of the tank in a few days.

Owen felt sick thinking of animal grown in a giant tank and then dumped into a paddock after it had just been born fully grown.

It had never learned social behavior. It had never been raised, had never grown into its body and mind.

She was dangerous. She was lethal. She was everything Masrani Global had ordered.

x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x

Blue shook her head, pawing at it like something was itching her. The others milled around, restless, agitated, looking for something that wasn't there.

Owen watched his every move as he walked toward the pens, their growls and snarls, barking yips, following him. Blue trailed him, but there was no ill intent, no sudden spikes of piqued interest to hunt or prey on him. She simply wanted to be close to the alpha because she couldn't place the source of her unrest.

And then something stabbed into his mind, all primal hunger and no regret. It was a tidal wave of such basic instinct, it drowned out all rational thought. A mind waking fully for the very first time, seeing the cage it was in, seeing the small humans around it, and the primal instinct screamed to hunt and eat and play with the captors.

This was nothing like a raptor mind. This was different. It seemed to amplify with every second, eating into his very mind. It swept away his humanity, left him screaming and weeping in a corner of his mind. It was a nightmare, a horror out of the depth of his lizard hindbrain, triggering his deepest fear.

Owen fell, swept away by the surge, and the scream became a weak cry.

Like through layers of thick wool he heard guttural barks, then even that was gone. He was tumbling deeper and deeper into the pain and it seemed to be all in his head.

His body hit the ground and Owen curled into a ball, still clutching his head. It was unbearable and he wished he would just fall into the merciful blackness of unconsciousness, but it seemed that something was keeping relief from him.

Like a heatseeker the new consciousness headed for him, wanting him, aware of him. A wall of outrage and fury rose, stopped it, surrounding Owen possessively.

_Ours!_

x XX JW XX x

When he came to, Owen was curled up on his side, on the hard-packed ground, dust around him. He heard sharp calls, growls, yips, the occasional snarl of anger. Something pushed at his back and when he opened his eyes he found himself up close and personal with a sharp claw. Very close.

And then Blue was there, in his head, harsh and angry, pushing past an instinct that wanted her to tear into the helpless alpha, mixed with the desire to defend the pack leader. The others were circling, vying for an opportunity, their own instinctual reaction overpowering everything else.

Something even stronger still echoed through them all, malicious and cunning, dark and foreboding, a danger to them, the pack, the territory. It was an unseen but very much felt enemy, and it drove them up the walls.

Blue roared furiously and they backed away, respectful of her status and her strength.

Owen exhaled sharply, trying to ground himself, and sat up slowly, eyes immediately on the three younger, lower-ranking pack members. The moment they met his gaze, they backed away even more, growling, yipping, chastised.

He held their gaze.

Eyes on me, he thought firmly.

Blue had his back. He felt her, wrapped so tightly around him, she was almost him and he was her. Their minds bled into each other, a connection to intense like never before. The attack on him through the unknown presence had resulted in this.

Any other situation and Owen might have felt threatened, but right now the physical threat of his relationship with the three other raptors was overpowering everything else.

Charlie, Delta and Echo finally looked away, their rumbles a little confused.

Blue snarled at them, putting them in their places. Her claws flexed, her body all coiled tension, ready to spring into action.

They retreated to a safe distance, though no too far as not to be away from their alpha.

Owen got up, headache hammering behind his eyes, and the echoes of what he had felt bouncing around his cranium. He projected calmness, assertiveness and mental strength.

This… this hadn't come from his pack. It hadn't been from any dinosaur he had ever seen at the park. This had been so vicious, almost too intelligent, too cold, filled with hunger and fury at… everything.

Blue cocked her head, looking at him. She was still on edge, still itching for something not even she could define. It was a fight response, but she had no target. The younger ones had chosen to try and take out their apparently weak alpha, and now they were confused as to why.

She had woken up, Owen realized. And she was straining against her chains, wanting out, wanting… just wanting. She was intelligent and wily like a raptor, but so much stronger, and without any control. She was dominant, shrewd in her thoughts, insidious and very, very wicked.

Blue snarled, lips pulling back over viciously sharp teeth.

"You can feel it, too," Owen murmured.

Of course she could. It was instinct. Coupled with the feedback from the alpha.

Ah, fuck, he thought. That was why they had lost it. He had projected.

All of what he had felt. Like an attack happening to the whole pack. They hadn't seen the threat, only felt it in their minds, triggering their natural instincts to attack and defend. All had simply reacted.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Blue rumbled, still twitchy, nervous, wanting to tear into a threat that wasn't physical. Owen reached for her.

"They woke up the indominus rex," he said, voice steadier than he would have thought. "She's hungry. So very hungry."

She flexed her claws, rumbling steadily. Scaly lips pulled back over serrated teeth. Echo came closer, Delta at her side, and Charlie was stretching her neck to sniff at him.

Owen knew what they wanted. Right now he wasn't inclined to stop them. Their minds were pushing against his, Blue's already meshing with his own, and they wanted out.

At the moment the balance in the pack was upset, their relationship swaying back and forth between pack needs and individual aggression.

"Eyes on me," he breathed.

Charlie hissed softly, but she didn't make a move forward.

"Eyes. On. Me."

When he slowly, carefully, stepped away from Blue, the other three looked up, a wave of eagerness lapping at their alpha's mind. He met their eyes, steady, calm, a rock in the stormy sea, until they yipped softly.

Without Blue he would be dead. He knew that as a fact. He had always known that the connection with Charlie, Delta and Echo was a sharp-edged one, based on the fact that he was the alpha. Like balancing on a knife.

She was next to him, tall and proud, and for a moment he felt the sharp claws against his arm, then that touch was gone.

"Let's go, girls," Owen only said. "Let's go hunting and work off some of that energy."

There was a dull pulse in the back of his mind, something he was now familiar with.

He couldn't care less at the moment. He had to get the pack balanced, work with them, reaffirm his position.

tbc...


	8. Chapter 8

_"She's a highly intelligent animal. She will kill anything that moves."_

"_You've got twenty thousand people with nowhere to go! Evacuate the park!"_

"_We're going after it. With everything we've got."_

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

And he did go after it. Her. The i-rex.

With the Raptor Squad. With his gun, his bike, four deadly killers, and the knowledge that if they lost, everyone on this island would be dead.

She was almost too easy to find, the harsh intelligence like a beacon.

It was a trap.

She had known he was there, had lain in wait. She had called him out and he had unwittingly followed that call.

Hammond Labs had given her the same cognitive function as the raptors. They had made her… receptive.

For him.

Part of him was horrified of the very idea, but he suppressed it. There was no time for that right now.

Owen knew it should have been a first clue when he had been able to sense her all that time while she was growing, but he hadn't thought anything but the pack could talk to him.

She had invaded their pack bond.

And she had hunted him just like he had attempted to hunt her. For entertainment.

For fun.

Because he was a threat.

For just a second he had felt her, so very clearly, and she had absolutely hated him.

x XX JW XX x

Hoskins had died.

Like many of his men.

The i-rex had been like no other dinosaur before her. Everyone had underestimated her.

Owen had been there when the man had finally closed his eyes, broken bones, blood soaking his clothes. Echo had tried to divert the i-rex from the chief of security, but the hybrid hadn't fallen for it.

Sitting on the muddy ground, out of breath, aching, bloody, and adrenaline running through him, Owen's brain was still trying to wrap itself around what had happened in the last hours. Well, the part that wasn't spiraling toward a migraine that had already started as a headache. You could only get slapped around by a huge animal for so long.

Physically as well as mentally.

Claire Dearing was with her nephews, who seemed much more composed than the adults.

What had they done? Owen wondered. What had they created? What had gone into that thing?

The pack was in the jungle around him, hiding. Blue was closest to him, just behind the dense bushes to his left, still gearing for a fight that was over. She was a wild, untamed presence in his mind and Owen had to actively reach out and tell her to calm down.

The influence of the i-rex was still there, the fury and sharpness, the invasion into the pack bond. The pack was still unpredictable in their movement, their injuries one more pain among them. Tempers were fluctuating.

Soft steps announced Claire's arrival.

"We never thought…" She broke off, shaking her head.

"You never did." Huh, maybe that had come out harsher than intended, but he was in pain. He wanted to sleep for a week, too.

She stood next to him, shaky, muddy, pale.

"Almost thirty years of research and development, from the first egg to today, and we still don't know anything," Claire said, voice soft. "We modified them."

Owen looked at her.

"We thought it was for the best. Traits we wanted."

"Like cunning hunting skills? Laying traps? Eating what moves?"

She winced, twisting her fingers.

"I said she was the first. Our first genetically modified dinosaur."

Grady was silent.

"She never was. They were all modified. She was the first hybrid, made up out of different genetic material. She was unique."

"Uniquely dangerous," he murmured.

"Dr. Wu… Henry… He said it was possible to suppress that trait. He had done it before."

Owen's head snapped around and he stared at the woman. "What." It wasn't a question.

"The raptors. The new breed."

"The pack. You think the pack is less volatile? Less aggressive against a perceived threat?"

"Henry thought so. Seeing your success."

Owen gave a bark of laughter. "Oh, you have no idea. None at all. You can't breed this instinct out of a dinosaur within just a few years. Dogs are still wolves, Claire. No matter the size or breed. Untrained they can be as dangerous as their cousins."

She closed her eyes, looking pale and fragile.

"And if you combine everything that's cool and frightening into one big, deadly and very intelligent package, you get a lot more than anyone can handle. Even a seasoned trainer."

Rabid dogs have to be put down. The i-rex had been far from rabid, but she had been completely wild. Owen still hurt from the sharp intrusions into the pack bond.

"Your success with the raptors had given us new ideas," Claire finally said.

"To what end? Throw me in a pen with an i-rex and hope for the best?"

She met his narrowed eyes.

"You've got to be kiddin' me," Grady breathed. "You created that thing in a gigantic test tube! It never grew into its body like a normal animal. It was switched on, not born! No one could have trained her."

"Not even you?" she asked softly. "You have talent. More than I have ever seen in others."

Owen stared at her, frozen for a second. "There is talent and there is suicidal madness," he finally answered neutrally. "With Blue and the others I know where I stand."

"They are your pack."

His stomach clenched. She knew.

"They are."

"You were the only one, Owen. To take on the raptors. We had others, gamekeepers, handlers, wranglers… they all quit after just a few weeks. You stayed on. They listen to you."

"Like I said: training and respect," he ground out.

Claire nodded slowly. "Something grown over time. Trust. Respect. Knowledge. Awareness…"

A coldness spread through. "How much of the raptor breed was in the i-rex cocktail your threw together?"

"Nothing at all."

"Sure?"

"Yes." She smiled wanly. "I think Henry understood that this… between you and them… was not due to good paleogenetics."

"No," Owen said slowly. "It isn't."

"And it can't be copied."

"Sure as hell can't," he muttered.

There was a low rumble all of a sudden, a rustle of leaves, and she froze, wide eyes scanning the foliage.

Owen didn't raise his gun, just got to his feet. "Let's get to the evacuation point."

"They are… here?"

No, not they. Her. Just Blue. The others had already retreated far enough, but not too far.

_Go home_, he thought. Their home, his house, the stables. Where it was safe. Owen shouldered his weapon and held out a hand to Gray. Zach was at his brother's side.

"Owen…!"

"It's okay," he told the woman. "We're okay."

The pack wouldn't attack. They were a more volatile right now, reaching for balance, and he tried to give it to them despite his own difficulties handling what had happened.

But he was the alpha.

It was his job.

And unlike a few days ago, when the i-rex's invasion of the pack bond had upset them so much, they had nearly turned on him, this time was different. It felt different.

There was no danger for anyone, aside from someone attacking the pack now.

Or the island.

Because right now, it was their territory.

All of it. No exclusion.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

"Be careful."

"I will." Owen gave her a smirk. "Take care."

Claire looked at her two nephews, sound asleep in the helicopter already. They were completely exhausted. Claire herself looked no better. Her formerly white clothes were a muddy brown, she had bruises and cuts on her bare arms, her hands, her face.

"Sir? You sure you don't want to come?" the black-clad, heavily armed next to him asked.

"I'm sure," he told the man, head throbbing in sync with the thwap-thwap of the helicopter blades. "I'm here for the animals and I won't leave them alone."

"Understood."

And he wasn't the only one to stay. A field medic had checked him out and aside from too many bruises to count, some cuts that had been cleaned and abrasions that would start hurting by tomorrow, Grady was fine.

"Owen…" Claire hesitated. "Thank you. For everything."

He nodded once.

"I won't tell anyone," she said, eyes intense.

Seeing him handle the raptors, the way he had silently communicated, had been tell-tale.

"What would there be to tell?" he asked neutrally.

Claire nodded. "Nothing at all," she agreed. She held out a hand. "Good-bye, Mr. Grady. It was an honor. I might not be back."

As park operations manager she was responsible. Owen was pretty sure he wouldn't see her again.

"What I can promise is that I'll do everything in my power to keep the island a research facility. Masrani Global won't wipe the place, that I can tell you. It would be a complete loss and a violent blow to stocks. I believe you could do a very good job here, Owen."

He shook her hand.

"Take care," he only said.

x XX JW XX x

The helicopter took off fifteen minutes later.

He watched it rise higher, then head for the mainland. Soon it was gone.

Owen turned and looked at the jungle in the distance, felt the pack closer to his mind.

_Hide well_, he thought. _Don't come out. There are hunters and they don't know who you fought for. For them a dinosaur is a dinosaur is a threat._

His bike was nothing but scrap metal. There would be no repairing it. Getting stepped on and chewed up by a hybrid dinosaur hadn't been good for his beloved bike. He would look for a ride back to his place as soon as possible.

Right now he had to take care of matters here.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

It was close to nightfall when he could finally leave the theme park's management center. The medic had handed him prescription meds of the very good kind, ones that would insure he slept well and wasn't in pain.

Owen pocketed them and hitched a ride with one of the security guys on his ATV.

The pack were shadows in the dark as they rode through the jungle and Owen almost laughed. They had been around the whole time, he had known that, and now they were his bodyguards on the way home.

"Thanks, Ramirez," Owen said as he slipped off the ATV's passenger seat.

"You sure you don't want to stay at the hotel?"

"Very. I'll be safe, trust me."

Ramirez flinched when something rustled not far away in the dark. The headlights of the ATV were creating only a small halo of semi-light.

"Huh. Yeah, well… night, Mr. Grady."

Owen waved and headed for the dark house.

Blue seemed to melt out of the shadows, silent, deadly, graceful despite being as tired as the alpha, as hurt, as exhausted.

"Hey," Owen greeted her. "Good hunt?"

It had been a short, quick hunt, feeding on already wounded animals that had been close to dying anyway. That's what Owen gleaned from the images floating through his mind.

Blue pushed her nose almost gently against his shoulder and he smiled, scratching her chin. The others appeared out of the shadows as well, chattering, rumbling, reassuring themselves of their alpha.

"Let's get some rest, girls. We need it," he murmured.

Blue huffed. Owen patted her neck, then did the same with the others, a brief, physical contact that calmed nerves and evened out the bond.

x XX JW XX x

For the first time in three years the raptors didn't spend the night in the stables.

Owen knew he would find them here in the morning. They wouldn't go wandering about and they wouldn't run off.

He stripped off his dirty, torn clothes and grimaced as he looked into the mirror. He was black and blue all over, with abrasions on top of that. His ribs were killing him.

Swallowing two painkillers, Owen headed for his bedroom.

"What a day," he murmured.

His mind was racing. Thoughts whirling about, refusing to settle.

So much had happened.

So much was still happening.

With him. With the girls. With the park. With everyone here.

Owen tossed and turned on the mattress, groaning as the bruises and the fractured rib protested. The painkillers were starting to work, but slowly.

There was a bark from the outside, followed by echoes from the pack.

"Sorry, ladies," Owen murmured and turned on his back again, staring at the darkness.

He was way too open. More than ever. The attack on him and the pack had made them stronger, had formed them into a unit like nothing ever had before, and it was hard to pull out of that safety net.

_Don't._

He smiled dimly at Blue's protective, strong presence that was wrapped around his mind.

_Let us. Just for this night._

They needed it just as badly as he did.

So he let go.

XX

Owen slept like dead.

tbc...


	9. Chapter 9

They had wanted the meanest dinosaur on Earth, one that had never actually existed in all creation.

Yeah, they had gotten it. To the fullest.

The Labs had played god and they had lost.

So many had lost. The lives of so many were forever changed through death and carnage. Wu and Keller were among the dead. Part of Owen felt a strange kind of cold relief. They had known about the special connection the pack had; the danger they presented was gone.

Maybe it was the raptors' way of thinking; maybe it was his own. He didn't really want to ponder that too deeply.

_Threat_, Blue told him.

She didn't mourn the loss of human life, because none of them had mattered to her. Wu and Keller had actually been among those she had seen as a threat, so their deaths were simply seen as another problem solved.

Owen was human, though, not a raptor. The men and women who had died had been colleagues, friends or acquaintances. Human lives had been lost. Because of plain human stupidity and arrogance.

Masrani Global had taken a hit and the stock had dipped, but they were a huge company, with a net worth of $500 billion. They would survive.

The park as such was closed. No visitors. Only the clean-up crews, the helicopters and ATVs from Masrani Security, scouring the jungle, removing the evidence of what had occurred.

Owen stood on his hill, looking over the silent park. No monorail, no faint noises of the bustle of tourists. No ferries in the distance.

He was still exhausted, despite a full night's sleep. Well, the rest of the night anyway. He had woken with the birdsong, just as the sun was starting to rise over the horizon.

He also still ached all over. The long, hot shower had helped only for a little while. Right now he felt every muscle he had.

He wanted to sleep for a week.

He wanted to forget.

Nature was recovering, the animals slowly coming out of hiding, the predators cautiously moving into their old territories.

The pack was shaken. Down to their very cores. They had fought with and for their alpha, had gone up against a threat they had never encountered before.

Their territory had been invaded.

They had followed him into a fight no one had known the outcome of.

They had attacked an apex predator and now bore the scars.

The i-rex had been malevolent, cunning, plotting, and such a dominant force, even the raptors had had respect. It had hunted for sport, not food, which was an alien concept to them.

Why expend energy when there was no hunger and need?

It had been such an indomitable force, for a while Owen had been scared of losing the pack to that force of nature. They had responded to a stronger, fiercer alpha, and Echo had nearly broken. She had attacked Owen. The alpha. He had a gash on his arm and the fractured rib to prove it.

Right now Echo was a confused little presence at the edge of the pack.

Blue was as always at his side. Her wounds had been treated and she would have the scars to show of the battle. Owen himself had enough scrapes, bruises and lacerations to remind him of what had happened for a while. Visibly remind him.

He wouldn't be able to forget the events of the past days. Not him, not the raptors.

His banged up ribs and the sprained left wrist were a constant ache.

Blue hummed a little, briefly resting her head on his shoulder, and Owen patted her jaw.

Loyalty. Singular, determined loyalty.

_Now what?_

It was a question that hung in the air, that bounced around the pack bond. The raptors milled around, unsure what to do now. Their territory had been defended, but things had been changed forever.

Twelve hours ago the i-rex had died.

Jurassic World, the publically accessible part, was closed. The staff that hadn't quit in terror was still on site, taking care of their animals. The facilities, the safety measures and fences, had to be maintained. All who were left of Hoskins' security team were providing security. Scientists and InGen Security were swarming the island, taking apart what was left of the i-rex, examining the files on what Masrani Global had created and that had been confiscated.

There were a lot of bodies to remove; a lot of dinosaurs had been killed. Masrani's airspace security had shot down whatever flapped a wing and countless pteranodon had died. The carnivorous dinosaurs were taking care of those carcasses that had landed in their enclosures.

Insurance investigators would soon go through the attractions and start collecting evidence of their own. Claims would be made. Millions would be sued off of the ones responsible.

Owen was glad Claire and her two nephews were alright, but he couldn't forgive her for playing god like this.

It had taken over a decade to make Jurassic World a safe, family-friendly park, to erase the bad aftertaste of the Jurassic Park John Hammond had wanted to open and which had failed. Masrani Global had gone up against hard opposition and had proven it was doable, that the park was safe, and now…

Now everything was in ruins. Broken.

Whether or not they would ever reopen was unclear. If not, this would become a research facility.

Blue rumbled uneasily, shifting on her powerful legs. She pushed her blunt nose against one shoulder and Owen smiled faintly, letting her push the bond toward him. They all needed the comfort of knowing that they were okay.

So far they were.

Eggs with hybrid DNA had been ordered to be destroyed. There had been plans for another i-rex, but also three incubators with hybrid raptors, it had seemed.

Owen glanced at his pack. Hybrids. Where they hybrids? Wu hadn't said anything, but Owen had suspicions.

What would happen to them now? The pack?

Echo whined a little, submissive and carefully asking for attention.

"It's okay," he said. "Evolution is a bitch. Can give you better cognitive functions, but instinct is hard to ignore."

He didn't really want to delve all too deeply into that intelligence. Something from the i-rex had sparked a feeling of unease.

Why modify the raptors? Why the i-rex? Why give it that brain capacity and the almost… basic human intelligence? Wu had sanctioned the modifications. He had first tried them on the raptors.

They had been given to Owen to train and handle.

He had been watched. Evaluated.

And then the i-rex. What had they planned to do with her? Aside from showing a new, dangerous beast off to the masses that stared at her from the safety of arena stands. She had been there, in his mind, like his pack, and Owen had had to fight to stay sane.

_We are different._

Owen looked at his beta. "Yeah, we are."

_You. Us. It._

"She was nothing like you."

_Pack._

"She was never pack."

Echo took two steps forward and Blue snarled a warning. Echo stopped and rumbled softly. They were still coming down from that battle high, the tension of the intruder hunting for them and their alpha.

He nodded at her, like an absolution. She perked up a little.

"We'll work it out, girls. All of us."

Owen was staying. He wouldn't leave them to fend for themselves.

They were different. They were family. They were growing intellectually. Whatever Hammond Labs had done to them… Owen planned to find out what the end game should have been. Right now… right now they needed to heal. Rebuild.

The buildings were self-sufficient. His house had been built to be as eco-friendly and independent from the mainland as possible. Sure, he had spent most of his time out in the field, but he had a house. Solar and wind power, geothermal energy, built to use up as little energy for heating or air conditioning as possible, and Masrani had drilled for water. It had been too expensive to rely on mainland deliveries.

For now he foresaw no problems. They wouldn't cut them off, mainly because if anything else failed now, they would be heading for another catastrophe. You didn't abandon a zoo and leave the animals trapped in their cages, to survive or to die. This was a research station now.

Blue's presence was almost overpowering at the musings. The others were rumbling softly, looking for reassurance, and Owen gave it to them. Surrounded by the deadly predators he stroked across scaly skin and let them rub against him.

They were his support; just like he was theirs.

They needed each other.

Now more than ever.

Delta's left shoulder was a mass of stitches, ones that Owen had put into her this morning. It had been a fight between her acceptance and her instinctual reaction to getting hurt even more. She had nearly buried her teeth in his forearm and Owen had fought hard to keep her under control. The way Blue had backed him up had been just one more sign; he wouldn't be able to disentangle himself from them. Ever.

Delta had been in pain, the wounds running the danger of infection and she had been acting on pure instincts. Even the alpha had been a danger.

Getting her to cooperate had meant an iron hold on her mind and using the pack as a safety net. Getting the muzzle on her hadn't even crossed his mind. The muzzle was an instrument to be used when others were around, when a vet came by.

This time there would be no vet.

Marcus was MIA. Melinda had been injured by the panicking masses. The other vets were busy with the injured and dying dinosaurs. Owen knew he was on his own for now, that no one in his right mind would want to treat the raptors without knocking them out first.

He also knew he had already lost himself within the raptor minds. He was too close to ever be not the alpha, not part of them. He could do what no one else would survive.

Echo was bruised all over, with slashes and abrasions. None had needed stitches, but it hurt and her attack on Owen had left her mentally unbalanced.

Charlie had nearly lost her right eye. It was still swollen and encrusted, but she might regain use of it. Owen would see if he could soak it a little, remove the dirt some more. She had let him check and apply some antiseptic, but it would need monitoring. She also had a huge abrasion on her left hind leg and one of the claws on her right foreleg looked like it might have been broken. A brief exam that had her hiss and rumble, though she had let him do it, had shown Owen how sensitive she was there.

He closed his eyes, letting himself sink into the group, grounding himself in their cool thoughts, their straight-forward logic, anchored by Blue's unmistakable presence within the pack bond. She was the one to help him pull out and he gave her a pat.

Like her pack sisters she had multiple cuts and bruises, skin abraded. There was still dried blood on her belly and tail. Owen would try and clean it up later.

"Let's go hunt for your lunch," he only said, the words accompanied by the empathic equivalent. "Yesterday wasn't really enough, hm?"

Excitement replaced the confusion.

He smiled and walked over to his replacement bike. It wasn't as good as his old one, would need some more tinkering, but it would do for now.

Hunt, patrol, let things happen as they did.

_Owen._

He looked up and found himself under intense scrutiny by yellow eyes. Something inside of him stuttered a little, dredging up memories from the past days when Blue had shouted his name in his mind. It was so easy now, between them. So natural. He had let his guard down three years ago, had let them get too close, and over those long years something new had formed.

Pack.

_Patrol first. Hunt later._

He gave a breathy laugh and Blue snorted with something similar to amusement.

Evolution. Owen was amazed by it anew.

_Why would you be? You knew._

Because she was too close. Had always been too close. She learned directly, absorbed, adapted, her mind making leaps in that regard. The labs had poked and prodded at her genetic information. This was the result.

Non-human intelligence. Pack bonded, connected to the human alpha. Learning through him to understand humans; and the alpha was learning about velociraptors.

He wouldn't leave them here. Never. Even if he had to stay all on his own.

_You won't be alone._

No, he wouldn't.

Kick-starting the bike he let the pack run, racing after them, keeping an eye on things.

Patrol.

Routine.

This was their island, their territory. They were its guards, its sentinels. Hammond Labs had wanted watchdogs. They had gotten them. Highly intelligent, more than probably expected or even wanted, but here they were.

Owen let them spread out, patrol.

He felt their alertness. He knew they would be okay.

Owen himself took the long road back to the now silent and deserted park, passing by only a few workers. He stopped near the t-rex paddock where Laurel was glaring at the security who had taken up guard.

"Owen!" she breathed and hugged him. "They wanted to shoot her! She had nothing to do with this and they wanted to kill her!"

"I know," he murmured and hugged her back, suppressing a wince as his ribs protested.

"They killed all the pteranodons! And the dimorphodons! All! They did nothing on purpose and they slaughtered them! John tried to stop them, but there was nothing he or his team could do. They were just animals and they followed instinct! Oh god…"

"I know," he repeated.

Laurel fought for composure and finally she stepped back. Her eyes reflected an endless sadness for all the human and animal lives lost, but there was also a strength there that made up all the trainers and caretakers at the park. She held him at arm's length, looking him up and down.

"Are you okay?"

Owen gave her a crooked smile. "Yeah, I am. Just scrapes and bruises."

Her eyes darted around, brushing over the guards, then she asked softly, "What about your little gang?"

"They're fine."

She nodded. "You're staying, right?"

"I can't leave."

Laurel's expression became intense and her blue eyes scrutinized him. Then she suddenly smiled.

"No, you can't. And the others won't. We have our own girls to take care of."

Owen wondered if he was reading between the lines now, if he was reading correctly. He decided not to say anything, but he gave Laurel and brief hug before going back to his patrol.

The damage done to the park was immense and while the search for the missing men and women went on, Owen doubted they would ever be found. Prey easily disappeared.

The Raptor Squad kept out of sight.

It was business as usual as usual for them.

Waiting for what was to come.

tbc...


	10. Chapter 10

In the aftermath the remaining animal trainers and keepers grew closer. It didn't matter who they were, where they came from, how long they had been in the park: they found each other. Small groups drifted together, supported each other, helped each other. Masrani Global had sent psychologists to the island who had offered their help. A lot of the employees had taken them up on that offer.

Owen had never been to any sessions. He had let a doctor check him again, because of the injuries, but his best support were four velociraptors. The pack. He was really fine, Grady told the doctors again and again. He was fine, except for a few deeper bruises, a pulled muscle here or there, and his sprained wrist. Well, and a fractured rib. That had to heal all by itself, too.

"Do you sleep well?" the doctor asked as he scribbled something on a notepad.

"Can't complain."

It got him a careful look. "There is no shame in needing help."

"Doc, I sleep very well. That's not a lie."

And he did, ensconced by the pack minds, keeping him safe. When he dreamed of the i-rex, it was like he was simply watching, not experiencing it again. The raptors viewed the whole matter with a cold, animalistic practicality. They had done what had needed to be done. They had attacked and defended, and facing a so much larger predator hadn't left them psychologically scarred.

It was their way. Instinct.

Owen was part of them, the pack bond, and as such he was given a kind of stability and help no psychologist could ever provide. It was a direct link into his mind, touching his consciousness and influencing his sub-consciousness. All possible nightmares were filtered through them.

And dealt with.

In a way, Owen Grady was becoming a velociraptor in that regard, but he was also still human. It was a clean, clinical way of dealing with it all. Just the facts; no superfluous emotions.

Owen wasn't sure how to tell the other man. He was from Masrani Global and aware of just what had happened. There were several people here, men and women, who complained about nightmares, but Owen wasn't one of them, even though he had been right in the middle of it all.

"I see," the doctor finally said. "Well, everything looks good, Mr. Grady. Keep pressure off your ribs and you'll keep healing. Should you require any kind of help, please don't hesitate to let us know. Some problems can manifest later."

Owen just nodded and was finally able to leave the medical center. He wondered what would be written into his medical file. Probably to get him examined for PTSD that had manifested in Owen deciding he was fine. Or to get him to talk to a psychologist, no matter what he said. Maybe someone had made a note of what he might be, a talented, a preternatural.

Whatever it was, Owen would tackle it if it surfaced.

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_She wanted you._

Sitting on the porch, eyes on the quietness of nature around him, the pack bond open, Owen heard her clearly. Still no words, just sensations that his preternatural mind translated.

"She wanted me," he agreed, speaking out loud. It was a thought that had gone around and around in his head.

The i-rex had hunted him. She had wanted him. He had felt it in the sharp spikes flashing through his mind.

"She wanted me dead and gone," Grady said thoughtfully. "Especially dead."

Blue's anger coursed through him. It was a brief, hot flame that wasn't harmful or reflected any pain. It was only a wave, rising and falling within the bond.

_Why?_

"I can hear you."

_So can others._

He let his eyes come to rest on the fence where Blue stood, watching him with alert eyes. Delta stood just a foot behind her, curiously watching Owen, her presence in the bond watchful as well.

"Yeah. Just no one else let their charges get this close."

Claws clanged against metal as Blue's fingers slid over the steel. Owen rose and walked over to her, pressing his hand against the mesh between then steel bars, feeling hot air blow from widening nostrils.

_Death. She wanted your death. She wanted to take you from us, kill you, then kill us._

The i-rex had been aggressive. A force of nature that would have torn him to pieces, mentally and physically.

_You're dangerous._

He laughed. "I'm human. Breakable."

_Dangerous. Strong. Alpha._

Owen looked at Delta, the cold, calculating expression in the yellow eyes. The others usually let Blue communicate more directly, but right now she was as distressed as the beta. They all were..

He mulled over the events.

"She was stronger than me. Us."

Blue showed sharp teeth, grumbling. _You are alpha. She feared your power. She feared us._

"So she wanted me gone?"

Blue's nostrils blew open wide. She rumbled softly, the reminder of Owen's possible fate nothing she wanted to contemplate.

The i-rex had wanted no one. She had seen him as a danger to her freedom. She had felt his strength, multiplied by the pack bond. So Owen had had to be killed.

Simple.

Or not.

_We will protect you. You are ours._

It was echoed fiercely by the rest of the pack. Possessive. He smiled a little. Yes, he was. Always would be from now on. His first instinct was to protect his raptors and theirs was to stand with the alpha.

Against whatever.

Even a psychopathic hybrid dinosaur.

Looking along the bond he checked his charges, searching for discomfort from the injuries. Charlie was troubled by her injured eye, so Owen decided to check them all.

"C'mon," he told them as Charlie whined, not happy about the idea at all. "The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can go patrolling."

They perked up and Blue seemed to laugh in his mind. Going out was always a priority. Leaving the enclosure had always been something to look forward to. Now, with the island declared theirs, it was a way to check on matters, reassure themselves that no new threat was out there.

And for Owen, going out on his bike, was a way to let go in his own way.

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Owen found he was welcome wherever he went.

He never brought the pack along. He let them run free, patrol. Their territorial instincts hadn't backed down.

_The island. Ours._

They had fought for it and won. It was truly theirs.

No one ever saw them. Security was still tight and just shipping back and forth between the island and the mainland was like entering the heart of a bank vault. Many employees were staying at the Hilton, but there were those who had family and they commuted.

Like before.

x XX JW XX x

Nancy spent a lot of time at the lagoon, just watching her mosasaurus charge swim around. The huge reptile had come to stay in the inner lagoon, despite the fact that she wasn't fed.

"She's here for me," Nancy told him, voice soft, almost hesitant.

She looked at him, eyes intense, saying more than words.

The mosasaurus had come into the lagoon, was staying around her trainer. She wasn't drawn here by the promise of food or because it was showtime.

Owen understood. Nancy had talent. She was preternatural.

"I never asked, but I knew you had to be like me. Like us. No one could do what you did without more than just a little bit of talent. I have this little bit. It was never enough to really touch her. I feel her moods sometimes. I can feel her coming here, her hunger, or when she is full. That's it."

He blinked at the revelation. "Us?"

"Reggie, over at the Cretaceous Cruise. He's a big guy kinda guy." Nancy chuckled softly. "He loves those giant beasts. When he sees an apatosaurus, he's a goner. They could step on him and never even notice, but he calls them his girls." Nancy smiled more. "Like you. When that… thing… killed one of the young ones, it almost broke him. And there's Jarrod. He's handling the micros. I know some of the stable hands have basic talent. Rather weak and unspecified, but enough to keep the babies calm and even-tempered."

Owen chewed on that revelation.

"You went deep with them right?" Nancy asked, eyes on the lazily swimming mosa.

He was silent. It got him a wan smile.

"I never dared to open up to her. She's such a powerful presence, especially when she's hungry. I'd get lost. Forever. You didn't."

"No," he answered slowly.

"How?"

"I don't really know."

Nancy nodded slowly. "My mom is talented. Like me. She told me that to bond with an animal is to lose yourself permanently. She said even an accidental connection will erase your humanity."

"Still human," he told her with a little smile.

"You're special."

"I got lucky."

"Or that. Your luck saved us, Owen Grady. Never think differently." She stepped closer, then, when he didn't move, hugged him carefully. "Thank you from all of us."

He hugged her back. "You're welcome."

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

"Owen! Thank god!"

Alan looked frazzled. Like he hadn't slept, and he hadn't actually shaved this morning. There were worry lines that gave Owen an idea just how badly the older man had taken his absence.

"Hey, Professor."

"What the hell happened? Are you okay?"

Owen smiled tiredly, sipping from his coffee. His third or fourth cup.

"I'm okay. As for what happened? I guess the media hasn't spread it all over the newsfeeds yet?"

"Hallucinogenic gas? A leak? Maybe an attack on the park from animal rights activists? You can read and hear just about everything but the truth," Grant snorted. "I know there was no gas. I know people died and I have a bad feeling about it. Suspicions."

Owen shrugged.

He sat on his porch, enjoying a dry, warm day. The pack was milling around the paddock and Blue had padded over, pushing her nose against the re-enforced bars, snorting softly.

"What got out?" Alan asked sharply. "The pack…?"

"No. The girls behaved. Actually, they helped. Without them, I'd be dead. A lot more people would be dead." He rotated an aching shoulder. "They nearly got killed themselves."

"Owen. The truth?"

"It's kinda classified."

"That never stopped you from talking to me."

"None of the animals we have at the park was responsible. It was human stupidity. Greed." He gazed out over the land around him, the trees, the grass, the mountains in the distance. "The park was losing visitors. Interest was waning a little. Just a few thousand people a year, but for them it was like the end of the world. So they came up with a new attraction."

Grant's face reflected realization. He paled as Owen went on, telling him about the i-rex, the death and destruction, and the way the media was kept in the dark.

"Dear god…"

"You could say that."

"How many…?"

"No clear numbers."

"And you're still there?"

Owen smiled slightly. "Where would I go?"

"Owen!"

"The i-rex is dead. All the other animals are in their enclosures. The island is safe. And yes," he added. "I'm sure. It's also my job, you know."

"Didn't stop those who already did the sane thing and left."

"I'm not leaving."

There was a yip in the background, followed by a bellow.

Alan was silent. Finally he sighed. "That's them, right?"

"Yeah."

"One day you'll tell me the truth about those four?"

Owen blinked. "What?"

Grant's expression was calm, serious. "You and those four raptors. There's something to that, right?" He raised a hand. "Don't try it, kid. I know there's more."

He didn't answer, just looked into those knowing eyes.

Blue's presence was more pronounced, almost quizzical.

"Target and clicker training doesn't get results like you have them. Not with raptors. They are not fuzzy little lion cubs. They're born killers. Don't tell me they're nothing but big birds of prey, either, Owen. They are not. Definitely not. I've run into them twice and that was two times too many. They kill the weak. You are weak compared to them. You're not one of them. You should have lost a few fingers already. They don't accept humans lightly. Only as a means to their end. They learn and plot and use us. So whatever else enables you to be the alpha of four velociraptors…"

He fell silent, not finishing the sentence.

Owen leaned back, eyes evading Alan's on the screen. Blue barked once, feeling his distress, though he tried to shield himself.

_Pack_, she projected. _Pack, pack, pack. No matter what. Ours. We protect, like you protect._

He grounded himself in the tight circle of four non-human minds that suddenly surrounded him like a safety net.

Alan raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, that's what I'm talking about."

"Professor…" He stopped, unable to say the words.

Alan smiled thinly. "When you're ready, kid. Now, what are your plans for the future?"

Owen exhaled softly. "I have a job. I'm doing it."

"You think they'll let you?"

"I think they'll be too busy not to loose control over what happened here to bother with the park and its staff for now. We handle the animals, take care of them, feed them. The i-rex was the danger, not any of those already here. We're still a research station."

"And if they close that down as well?"

Owen shook his head. "Masrani Global is a billion dollar company. This will blow over. Money always helps. Masrani is making millions here with the research alone."

The older man grunted. "Yeah. Money. So you're going to stay?"

"Yeah."

"Because you have reasons."

He nodded.

"Four of them."

Owen said nothing.

"Be careful, Owen. Call. I'd like to get an update now and then."

He smiled slightly. "As usual."

"As usual," Alan echoed.

tbc...


	11. Chapter 11

The first few days after the death of the i-rex, with security and military swarming the island, with people either quitting on the spot or being sent home, Owen retreated mostly to his own home when he wasn't expected to show up to an interview, to take a statement or to give him another check-up.

He was busy taking care of his pack. Wounds needed to be monitored, the raptors needed him as their alpha, and he needed the calm and quiet of the pack bond. He needed their calm state-of-mind to relax and they needed his confidence and calmness to function harmoniously.

But Owen knew he also needed human contact. It was necessary for him to remember he wasn't a velociraptor. It would be so easy to lose himself in their cool, logical strength, but he had a responsibility. He was their guardian.

He drove down into the deserted theme park daily; sometimes several times. He spent time with the other trainers, he talked to the scientists, listened to the news, and he evaded the media. He and Reggie Faulkes took a boat out onto the river, paddling past the apatosaurs grazing peacefully, watching the triceratopes and stegosaurs, talking shop.

Faulkes, who had worked with elephants and rhinos before Masrani had hired him, asked a ton of questions about the pack and he was more than slightly shocked to realize what Owen had done.

"Is it… permanent?"

"I don't really know. There isn't a book on this stuff."

"Well, there probably is, but no one knows who wrote it and where you can get one," had been the other man's reply. "Bloody hell, Owen, you gave them a connection to you!"

He had.

Without much of a fight.

x XX JW XX x

By and by he met the other talented employees of the park. Only Nancy was working with a predator like Owen did. Everyone thought he was insane to have let the pack connect to him on an equal level, that he had given in and dropped his shields.

Not that Owen had known about shields anyway. He had followed his instincts and he hadn't lost his humanity or his human way of thinking.

x XX JW XX x

Interest was slowly waning as the headlines changed from what had happened here to other events and catastrophes.

x XX JW XX x

A vet by the name of Gary Themming came out once, looking at the raptors from behind the paddock fence.

"They seem to be fine."

"They are."

"You stitched her up?"

Owen nodded and shrugged one shoulder when Themming gave him a look of disbelief.

"No anesthetics?"

"Nope."

"Fuck."

Owen shrugged again.

"No infections, no fever, no weaknesses?" the vet asked, trying to rally for normalcy after that shock.

"They're good. Fast healers."

The other man expelled a sigh of almost relief. "At least some good news."

Owen had gotten the information updates. An apatosaurus had to be put down. They had lost half of the gallimimus herd and all of the flyers.

"I'll leave you some antibiotic creams, just in case."

"Thanks."

Gary gave the four raptors behind the safety fence another look, shaking his head. "You have guts."

"I have their trust."

It got him raised eyebrows. "There's trust and there's a pack bond of such depth."

Owen's eyes narrowed and he carefully studied the vet. Themming smiled thinly.

"I have some talent in that regard. It helps mostly with small animals and slow-thinking herbivores. I left the carnivores to my colleagues when I could help it."

"Carnivores aren't that different."

"Oh, they are, Grady. They really are. They tolerate us as long as we're useful, but we are on their menu."

Owen shook his head. "That would be saying that big cats in zoos view us as prey, too. They don't. They react to us according to how we behave and what energy we have around us."

"Know that. Raptors aren't big cats. They are way more intelligent. You connected to that intelligence. Melinda told me about what you were doing out here when I got to the park a few months back, but I never really believed her. This is insane."

"It worked."

They had successfully brought down the i-rex.

"Looks like it."

The vet packed up his bag. "Well, one less worry. Gotta go. You take care."

They shook hands and Owen watched the other man drive off, then he went back into the house.

x XX JW XX x

The hotel would remain open. Employees had not been forced to stay, but most had. All souvenir shops had closed, though the merchandise was still there. The Innovation Center was locked, the building deserted. The Hammond Creation Labs were under close guard and only accessible to authorized persons. All the tourist attractions like the Cretaceous Cruise and the Gyrosphere Ride had been shut down.

The main street looked like a ghost town. There were no tourists, no park rangers aka. tourist guides. There was the odd cleaning guy who took care that the streets didn't look unkempt and that the bird poop was removed.

The birds were normal.

The birds gave everything a little bit of natural sound.

But no chatter of tourists, no excited kids, no announcements, no clinking of cutlery and glasses.

Owen came when he was looking for company. Most small businesses had closed, but Masrani had apparently paid aplenty to keep three restaurants running for the employees, who had to pay next to nothing for it.

Yes, Corporate was doing everything in their power to keep their employees and to keep them happy.

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Simon Masrani had been to Isla Nublar, addressed the employees personally, thanked them for their continued work efforts. Everyone would receive a hefty compensation for what they had suffered through.

Damage control.

Manipulation.

Coercion.

Owen knew the game. He wasn't stupid.

He also didn't think anyone would have a chance to really leak the truth about what had occurred. Masrani had top notch lawyers and advisors. He would turn this catastrophe around into something profitable.

It was simply survival of the fittest, and the fittest was the one with the most money.

Somehow, Grady didn't care. His priorities were elsewhere.

It came as no surprise that Masrani wanted to talk to him personally. Owen had met the man maybe twice, but never alone.

"Mr. Grady," the CEO greeted him, a friendly smile on his lips.

It didn't reach his eyes. Those looked haunted, like he had been to Hell and back, and maybe he had.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

They were alone. No secretary, no security, no assistants.

"I'm not sure what you want to talk to me about," Owen told him openly.

Masrani gestured at one of the leather chairs. Owen took a seat. In the back of his mind he felt his beta, attentive and focused on her alpha, and the pack milling close by.

Curious.

Careful.

"What happened was…" Masrani paused. "Painful," he finally said. "Terrible. Something that shouldn't have happened. We lost many lives that day."

And maybe some would still die, connected to hospital machines that monitored them, trying to keep them alive.

"I wanted to personally thank you for what you did."

Owen said nothing.

"Whether or not the theme park reopens for the public, I want to offer you a permanent position with Masrani Global, Mr. Grady. Here, on this island, in a capacity that lets you run your studies unimpeded."

Owen raised his eyebrows. "You mean train raptors?"

"If that is your focus."

Masrani damn well knew that it was. Owen was convinced the man knew exactly what he was capable of and what he had already achieved.

"You are a very valuable employee, Mr. Grady," the CEO said. "To me and this park, whether or not it reopens as before or not. I want you to stay on in your current position as a behavioral trainer. I also offer you a unique chance."

"In what way?" Owen asked carefully.

"To be independent."

He narrowed his eyes.

"I am very well aware of your role in the park, as well as in the near-disaster. I know it could have been so much worse, maybe even completely catastrophic, if not for you and the pack you trained. I have been given to understand by Ms. Dearing that any change to you or the pack might not be for the… best of the park. I agree."

Owen sat stock still, almost frozen, eyes boring into the powerful man.

"Mr. Grady, I offer you a unique position. To be in charge of the raptor program, as it is now or as you see fit to continue it. I've been told that the restricted area has seen some use and could be expanded, even for other trainers in the park to use. That will be yours, if you accept. Park operations, in whatever capacity, will continue one day, but I want you to be in charge of a different section of it."

"To what extent?" Owen asked, voice carefully level. His brain was racing.

"You answer to me. Me alone. I don't want a paper-pusher running a good resource department and sending me boring updates. I want you to expand your talent, that of the others working on the island. You are my resources, Mr. Grady. All of you. These animals don't deserve to be shot down, the island bombed, because of one failed experiment. I don't want a repeat performance of twenty-two years ago. I want the future to continue. You and your colleagues are that future."

Owen's stomach was a hard, cold knot.

"But you will continue experimenting with the DNA."

"That is what we're here for. It is what Masrani Global stands for. Innovation. Vision. The future." Masrani smiled. "But I will keep you out of that public limelight. Do what you have done already, with full support and full access to all I and my company have to offer."

Owen silently studied Masrani, aware that if he didn't say yes, the pack would either be hunted down and killed, or shipped off into a lab to be studied. His own fate would be similar.

He was the alpha.

He had to do what was best.

Even if it meant agreeing to something that might come back to bite him one day.

"And if you decide to shut the whole operation down?"

Masrani's smile was humorless. "Losing that much money makes no one happy, Mr. Grady. Pulling the plug is not an option."

Owen knew he was almost literally in a corner, back against the wall, and he had four other lives to consider. Maybe even more. There were talented trainers in the park, preternaturally talented people.

"Autonomy?" he asked. "From park operations?"

"You will be on equal standing with the future operations manager."

"What about Claire?"

Masrani leaned back. "She has proven to be an asset and a slightly too forward and risk-taking manager."

"She did what you asked for."

"She pushed too fast."

"You pushed her," Owen countered. "You wanted an attraction to scare and fascinate everyone, better than the t-rex. You got it. And like twenty-two years ago with the t-rex, it went out of control."

Masrani chuckled. "Is her return one of your conditions?"

"She did what she had to. The park ran smoothly with her. Just consider that when it comes to selecting a new manager."

"Very well. So I take it you are staying?"

He couldn't leave. Owen knew that. Masrani knew that. All he could do was get the best out of the situation, make sure the pack was safe. That every animal was safe.

x XX JW XX x

And he did.

With a contract that gave him enough freedom and power to make damn sure he had himself and the pack covered.

The hefty raise in payment wasn't the exciting part; it was the fact that he was independent of the park management, answering only to Simon Masrani himself. Owen wondered what he was on the pay-slip. Raptor Wrangler? Alpha raptor?

He grinned at the thought.

tbc...


	12. Chapter 12

Blue, Charlie, Delta and Echo were steadily healing. They were naturally fast and good healers. Delta's shoulder was looking a whole lot better, but she was skittish when it came to Owen touching it. He needed his full concentration when the time came to remove the stitches, which pulled at the new-formed skin. Delta's growls were fearsome, but she tried to stay still. When the pull became more like small needles, she flinched, taloned paws twitching, and a yip escaped her.

But she didn't so much as snap at her alpha.

When it was over, Owen stepped back and met the yellow eyes.

_Well done._

She whined a little and Owen nodded. Delta stretched out her neck and he petted her.

"You'll be okay."

Scarred, maybe a little bit handicapped in the movement of that shoulder, but not in pain.

Yeah, she would be okay.

Delta closed her eyes and tilted her head, letting him scratch her some more. It was calming her as much as it was rebalancing the bond. She padded off, flexing her shoulder.

Charlie was next. Her eye was no longer so swollen and she was recovering her sight in that eye. Owen was allowed to check it visually and she had once held still long enough for him to apply antibiotic cream. Otherwise she was suspicious of everything and everyone coming too close to the injury. Owen hadn't forced her to let him touch the eye, let her heal on her own.

"Good girl." He patted her neck.

Charlie rumbled a little, drawn between letting her alpha examine her eye and pulling back because it was a weakness.

"Not going to hurt you more, Charlie," he reassured her. "You'll be okay."

Echo was watching curiously. She was healing fine on her own. There had been a brief scare because she had bled out of her mouth, but it had been just a missing tooth. She wasn't bothered by it anymore.

Blue would be the last to be treated, away from the others, since some of her wounds were on her belly. She as the beta of the pack and she wouldn't show weakness.

x XX JW XX x

Blue's trust in her alpha was absolute. Owen knew that no one would believe that a raptor could stay completely still outside of a hunt, frozen, like a statue, and let a human touch her most vulnerable areas. The belly.

Owen was allowed to.

Her skin was paler there, almost white, while her back was a dark gray-green with its blue tinge. The dried blood over healing cuts and abrasions disturbed the paleness.

He did his exam quickly and efficiently, looking for infections, feeling for the heat of inflammations. Blue turned her head a little to watch him, but otherwise she didn't so much as twitch.

Owen applied more cream.

"Looking just fine," he said out loud.

Of course it did. She could feel it, floated through him.

He straightened, looking right into her eyes. "Just checking. I'm worried. Finger?"

He held out a hand and Blue slowly and gracefully, as if she wanted to show him she didn't harbor ill intent, stretched out her right arm. She spread her slender, long fingers. There had been a lot of skin missing and everything was still crusted and healing. She could move them easily and showed no pain.

"Good," he murmured. "Really good."

Blue curled her taloned fingers, Owen did the same with his harmless, human ones, and for a second it was like a strange kind of handshake, then she stepped back with a snuffling sound.

_Owen. We're good. We heal. _

"I know. Worrying is human. And I'm human." He smiled as she nosed against his jaw.

_Pack. You are pack. Alpha. Not like them._

They understood so much more than any other dinosaur in the park, but for them Owen was not like the others. He wasn't human, though he wasn't a raptor either. He was simply the alpha.

Blue nosed at him again and he wrapped an arm around her muzzle, leaning his head against hers.

"We'll be fine," he agreed with her sentiment.

Yes, they would be okay.

x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x

"You look tired."

Owen scrubbed a hand over his face, rough stubble scratching his palms. "I'm good."

Alan scowled. "Tell me another one."

"It's been… busy here."

"Talk."

It felt good to be able to talk to the professor more or less regularly again. It was normalcy in an otherwise anything but normal week.

"Simon Masrani was here. Personally."

"Publicity tour?"

"No. There was no media. Not even one reporter. He came to… talk."

"About…?" Alan said slowly. "The girls?"

"Good guess. Ten points."

Owen told his friend what Masrani had offered, what he had accepted, what he was now. Well, without an official title he was aware of anyway.

Alan leaned back, a frown on his features, thoughtful.

"Masrani Global hired me because of what I am, Professor. They knew I'm talented and they wanted me because of that talent. Now I proved that I could do what no one else had thought possible, though probably not in the way Masrani had hoped."

Grant nodded slowly. "Copying what you did… it's almost impossible. For one, no one is crazy and insane enough to open himself up completely to a highly intelligent predator like the velociraptor. I doubt anyone but you would have survived it anyway."

"Thanks, I think." Owen grinned.

Alan replied with a similar grin. "You know what I mean, kid. You're pretty much unique, as is your success with the pack. And 'crazy' is your middle name. So, now you're what? Raptor supervisor?"

Owen shrugged. "No idea. I don't think I have a job title. Yet. What I do have is independence from the rest of the park. Should the theme park reopen, the raptors won't be part of it, like before. I'm the behavioral scientist or analyst or whatever. I run an experiment and it's behind the scenes, away from possible tourists."

"And other scientists?"

"Yeah." Owen winked. "You can visit whenever you want."

Alan smiled. "We'll see. So, what about your colleagues? The other preternaturally talented?"

They talked some more, about Reggie and Nancy and Laurel, about others Owen had heard about.

"Get some sleep, Owen," Alan finally said, after almost two hours of talking. "You look like you haven't in a while."

"Actually, I do sleep. Really well. No nightmares."

"You lucky dog. I know I didn't sleep all too well after my first time on the island."

Owen chewed on his lower lip. "Yeah. Well…"

"The pack?"

"Kind of?"

"Huh."

"They have a great way of compartmentalizing such attacks, Alan. When I dream about the i-rex it's like a movie. There's no fear, just… acceptance. For them it was an automatic reaction to a threat. No nightmares."

"Good for you. Still, get more sleep than you already have."

"Yes, Professor."

Alan smiled. "Good boy. Till next time."

"Till next time," he echoed.

Then the screen was dark, the chat closed. Owen leaned back, feeling exhausted. Maybe he should get some rest.

But first he had to look after his pack.

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_Guardian._

Owen leaned his arms on the banister of his back porch, looking out over the grasslands around his home.

Yeah, maybe he was a guardian. He had at least established himself as one.

Overhead the sky was a leaden gray, clouds racing as the wind that had been pushing over the island since morning was increasing. The thunder clouds were coming closer and closer. The rumbles were already increasing and Owen knew the weather front would hit them within the next fifteen minutes.

It was late in the afternoon, the light already waning because of the clouds, and if the park was still open to the public, people would have either gone to their hotel room or headed somewhere indoors.

But Jurassic World was still closed.

Masrani had apparently planned to leave before the thunderstorm made flying out impossible, but the weather had changed faster than predicted, so the man was stuck at the Hilton, probably until tomorrow morning.

_Our territory_, Blue told him firmly. _We guard it._

"Yes, you do," he said softly.

The first drops hit the ground and the thunder rumbled.

There was no fear coming from the pack. They had lived through several more thunder storms since that very first one that had had them scramble for protection in Owen's house. All four raptors had sought shelter in the stable, but they were calm and balanced.

Owen left the back porch and jogged over to the concrete building. He had just reached it when the few drops of before turned into a literal downpour from one second to the next.

In the dusky light of the inside, the four shapes were still clearly visibly and Blue hummed softly as he entered.

Rain beat down on the roof, flooding the world.

Owen checked each of his pack, touching, stroking, scratching warm skin. They surrounded him, rumbling and humming.

_Guardian_, Blue insisted.

Yeah. All of us, he thought.

Possessiveness rolled through him like a warm wave, mixed with affection and a strange kind of love that was not human. Owen would never be able to describe it to another human being. He had long since given up on it, though maybe now that he had found out who else was talented, he might find someone who had an inkling.

Blue shook herself, a languid, relaxed presence close to his own mind. As always.

x XX JW XX x

They went out early in the evening when the rain had let up, mud squelching under taloned feet. Delta was actually quite happy with the conditions, almost playful like they had been as youngsters. She and Echo mock-fought until Echo slipped and landed on her side, mud going everywhere.

Indignation and exhilaration mixed as the two raptors continued, with Charlie watching curiously just out of the mud splash zone.

Owen laughed., shaking his head

This was what they needed right now. Normalcy, calmness, stability. And to play.

He would give it all to them. It was his job now. He was alpha. And now he was also recognized as the man in charge by no one else but Simon Masrani.

Blue appeared next to him like a stealthy, silent shadow. She rested her head against his shoulder, rumbling so softly, he felt it more than heard it.

"Hey," he murmured, tilting his head to touch his cheek against her scales.

_Alpha_, she acknowledged.

He smiled. "Let's go for a run, hm?"

She hummed and lifted her head, warm air blowing from her nostrils. The others had stopped their play and were watching him expectantly, the chant _Run, Run, Run_ already echoing around the bond. Finely honed instincts flared, ready to take on the world. Their sharp minds would flay anyone else alive, cutting into a preternaturally talented like a serrated knife, but to Owen it was completion.

He got his bike and they were off no five minutes later, him in the lead, all four running behind him, with Blue running point. Owen's sharp whistles were audible even over the noise of the bike's engine, and they responded like a well-oiled machine.

tbc...


	13. Chapter 13

The whole 'psychopathic dinosaur lose at Jurassic World' incident was wiped under the rug. A very big, sturdy rug. Masrani Global paid off whoever needed to be silenced and the media was cleverly played to the very end.

Not a single peep of the i-rex made it out.

It had been an attack on the park, using drugs in the food, gas in the air, and several unknown but probably dead persons who had opened enclosures to free the poor dinosaurs. No group of activists were named and of course no one came forward to claim responsibility.

The dozens of dead were mourned, buried, their families receiving compensation.

The injured and traumatized were given treatment.

Masrani Global paid for it, adding hefty sums to insure silence and a positive attitude in case of trials.

For now the whole island was still closed for tourists, but science teams were still invited to study the dinosaurs. InGen was still providing security, now under the command of a new chief of security. There had been multiple statements about improved park security, how the visitors had always been safe from the dinosaurs, that no one would have thought that anyone could think about releasing these animals with so many innocents on park grounds, and so on.

It was all one big campaign and the world believed it.

The park would reopen one day.

Owen would always be in charge of the raptors. Simon Masrani himself had assured him that nothing would change in that regard, that he answered to no one concerning his girls, and that the restricted area was where they could roam and hunt.

No matter what.

Complete autonomy.

And absolute authority.

Blue pushed her nose against his shoulder, warm breath disturbing his hair. He curled an arm around her long muzzle and smiled. Her body settled firmly against his, seeking as much contact as possible without actually sitting on him.

It was nice.

It was support and strength, each seeking it in the other. After the past weeks, the pack was finally back on an even keel and Owen would do everything in his power to keep it that way.

"Hey there, beautiful," he murmured.

He felt her low rumbles, not even audible to the human ear, like a subsonic purr that resonated through his whole body.

"It's not getting any less disturbing seeing this again and again."

Owen turned around and Blue lifted her head, huffing a little. She was completely at ease. She must have picked up their current guest, probably a while ago, but she wasn't alarmed. He patted her neck and walked over to the exit from the enclosure where Professor Alan Grant stood, eyes on the four raptors. There was a tension in his frame, a wariness, that hadn't abated ever since he had arrived.

He was carrying to mugs of coffee.

"I'm getting chills watching you with them."

"I'm fine. I'll always be fine."

"Yeah, I know."

And he did. Owen had opened up to his friend about his abilities. He had found Alan understood so much better than he would have thought. He had known someone with preternatural abilities, though she had worked with horses.

"Still… Damn, they're much bigger than I remember."

"Not really. I've been to Isla Sorna several times. I spent nights and days there, watching the dinosaurs on that site Those raptors there might be a different species, but they aren't that much smaller. More colorful."

Alan shook his head and held out a mug. Owen took it gratefully.

"They're bigger than you, Owen. That's scary."

"So are horses, elephants and giraffes. Even cows. Cows have killed humans."

The professor huffed a little laugh. "Yeah, they are. And yes, they have."

Blue was still watching. She had an opinion concerning the visitor. While he wasn't pack and radiated tension and distrust, he was open enough and his energy was more acceptable. The pack looked at her and her behavior, adjusting their own. Their alpha had shown them that Alan Grant was accepted, was part of the alpha's circle. They didn't see him as pack, understood he wasn't pack.

Owen didn't want that to happen anyway. Nor did Alan.

Grant had officially come in as a visiting scientist, not to evaluate the park. He had a hotel room at the Hilton, where all the investigators and scientists were staying at the moment. No tourists meant a lot of empty rooms. The hotel personnel was only too happy to have guests.

So far Alan had seen little of that room, except to sleep, and he had spent all his time looking at the dinosaur enclosures, the research, the models, and had taken rides out into the herbivore paddocks.

Owen had accompanied him as his guide and so far Alan showed no signs of wanting to leave as fast as they could get him off the island. He had toured all enclosures, had taken a rise with the boats of the Cretaceous Cruise, and had even spent hours observing the t-rex. And he had talked to the keepers and trainers.

Security was still tight. The island was under lock and key, but the famous Professor Grant could get doors open that had too many locks to count. Masrani had been only too happy to have him as a consultant.

So far, Claire hadn't returned, but there were rumors that she would come back. Owen hoped so.

Out here, Owen's place, there was no security; just like before. He had his own guards in shape of four very protective raptors.

The new chief of security hadn't been amused about the arrangement, just like the late Vic Hoskins would have been, so no change there. At least the new guy gave the raptors more of a chance. He hadn't voiced any kill-shot opinions. He did insist on the muzzles, though.

"You realize what this makes you, hm?" Alan asked as they nursed their coffee.

"On my paycheck is says Chief Raptor Behavioral Analyst. A mouthful." Owen grinned. "It's also a nice paycheck."

Alan laughed. "I believe it. But you're more than just a job title."

"Pack alpha."

The other trainers had started to just call him The Alpha or Chief Raptor. Laurel had started it and he had taken it with a good-natured smile. It was what he was: the pack leader.

"Together with your beta," Grant told him. "In the wild I'd say you are the alpha pair."

Owen gave him a mild frown. "Doesn't work that way."

InGen had started the process – and made a few mistakes – but Masrani Global had tweaked the DNA enough that the animals didn't circle into any kind of heat or developed a sexual interest. All of the dinosaurs were still female. They didn't look for a male partner because they wanted to procreate. The alpha pair wasn't meant to be a breeding pair. They were the strongest, the pack leader, and the beta.

Owen Grady. And Blue.

"I'm not even going into the whole species debate, because that can only end in wildly abstract and very sick speculations," he added.

Alan grimaced.

"But there's also the matter that none of the girls have the ability to breed or change gender, like the others had managed. They are, in that matter, asexual. Female, but asexual."

Alan looked at the raptors. "Animals don't know structures like we have them in our societies, with a leader and a second-in-command. Blue is the alpha when you're not there. You run this as a cooperation. You each have the same standing, but she won't undermine yours. She could have taken over so many times, Owen. Even before the whole i-rex debacle."

His eyes were finally on Owen.

"But the pack is only as strong as their alpha, right? And you are the alpha. You are the strongest human being I know, Owen. Otherwise Blue would have killed you."

Owen nodded slowly. Of course she could have. He had actually broken down, been unconscious, right there in front of them. Blue had defended him, had protected him.

_Of course I did_, floated through his mind. _I always will. We are pack. You make us pack. You make… us._

Owen closed his eyes and felt a smile tug at his lips. When he opened them again, Alan was looking at him with a knowing smile.

"How much have they learned?"

"Enough to make communication possible," Grady answered softly, like revealing a secret.

Alan looked briefly stunned, then expelled a breath of air. "Damn."

"It's not telepathy. It's… pack. The pack bond. I'm no good with any of the rest at the park. And Blue is the clearest."

Not words. Never words. It was a matter of his brain translating what she was trying to say. The others had never touched him that directly, out of deference to Blue.

"How do you perceive the rest by now?"

"No change to before. I can feel the rex like an afterthought. The herbivores are like a soft background noise, but they aren't individual minds to me. They're too…flat." Owen shrugged. "It's too hard to describe. The other predators are like faint disturbances. There, but not enough to interfere."

Alan looked thoughtful. "Have you found out how many other preternaturally talented there are?"

"Not sure. It's nothing you talk about openly."

Alan nodded, watching the raptors milling around, low rumblings echoing between them. "You might want to take them out. They seem restless."

Owen chuckled. "Kinda."

Excitement washed over him at the prospect of a pack outing run, of letting lose and exerting themselves, maybe even go hunting. Blue padded closer, snorting softly.

Alan had tensed, but his automatic reaction to jerk back was aborted. He tried not to stare at the raptor, but Blue was a compelling sight. She was without a muzzle.

"Want to come along?" Owen offered lightly.

He gave a humorless laugh. "Decline. I think I should make use of my hotel bonus. They offer a mean massage."

"You do that."

Blue radiated amusement at the older man's tension around the pack. None of them was going to hurt Owen's guest.

"Well, girls, you heard it. We're going for a run. Let's gear up."

Delta grumbled a little as he put on her muzzle. Echo was perfectly behaved. Charlie was pure excitement and nervous energy. Blue was her regal self, contained power and dominance over the pack, and Owen smiled. She overlapped them all, but not to the point where he couldn't distinguish between the lower ranks any more. She gave him a stability that hadn't been there before. She was a counterweight for him and vice versa. His humanity dampened her animal instinct, and her cool, logical, almost pragmatic thinking helped Owen. It was a constant back and forth between them now, an exchange that happened subconsciously, and the pack was the recipient of both of them.

They were a team.

The i-rex incident had done wonders for the pack. They had grown together, had strengthened, had supported each other, even when the powerful new hybrid had threatened to tear them all apart. They had healed together, ad left no one behind.

Nearly losing their alpha had done that.

The threat that another dinosaur would take what was rightfully theirs.

_Mine_, Blue whispered, sounding fond.

_Mine_, Owen echoed, mirroring the emotion.

x XX JW XX x

Alan was on the porch, watching them as Owen opened the paddock and the four raptors stepped outside. None came closer to the house, to Alan, though Blue looked at him long and hard.

"I was thinking steak dinner at the Hilton," the professor said when Owen wheeled out the bike. He tried to sound normal, but there was a tightness to his voice that was tell-tale.

"Company's paying?" Owen asked lightly.

"Of course."

Owen chuckled and started the bike. "I'm game. See you around eight."

Blue's nostrils blew wide again, still watching Alan. The others chattered, behind their pack beta, following her lead as not to approach the guest.

_Ally._

Yes, Owen thought, knowing he was heard. Yes, he is.

To be protected. Not to be harmed. Their friend. Someone who was the alpha's friend, someone important to the alpha.

Blue agreed and the others listened.

Owen whistled and their attention was on him.

"Eyes on me," he said calmly and gestured for them to get into formation.

And then he was off, the pack racing behind him.

x XX JW XX x

Alan watched them go, the knot in his stomach no longer so hard and unyielding. It was terrifying to see a human being with four apex predators like the velociraptors. It was even more terrifying to understand what Owen had done.

He was part of the pack.

There was no going back.

Owen Grady had opened up, done what no talented like him should ever do, and he had let himself fall into a bond. It had been and still was a one way street and it could have had him crash and burn.

He hadn't.

"Damnit, kid," Alan breathed and put away the mugs. He pulled the door shut behind him.

He had seen the way Blue looked at her alpha. The respect. The acceptance. Equals. And he had seen the interaction among the other three, their interaction with Owen and Blue.

The future would be more than interesting.

tbc...


	14. Chapter 14

They had gone to their favorite place. Deep in the restricted area, overlooking the silent park. Owen had removed the muzzles and let the pack run free. They would find their own entertainment, dig through the jungle, scare a few animals, hunt and play.

Echo was immensely fascinated by the old ruins from the first Jurassic Park facilities. She and Delta had teamed up, snuffling around the former visitor center, exploring old enclosures or playing with whatever tools they found.

Charlie was more interested in tracking smaller prey. Birds were fun for her to stalk and she was getting pretty good in catching them even in flight. She was very, very fast and could jump pretty high.

_Worried again. Stop._

Owen sighed. Blue was still around, though not next to him, and he felt her mind acutely. She had patrolled the area they were in right now, cataloguing changes, assessing potential threats.

"Not worried," he said, voice low. "Just me. I'm alpha, Blue. It's my job to take care of you all."

He had always had the responsibility, but until a few weeks ago, everything had been nothing but a behavioral experiment in the eyes of Masrani Global. Now it was different. Claire was gone. Simon Masrani had given him a kind of a carte blanche.

Blue seemed to understand, in a way, but she was also proud of Owen for establishing himself as alpha in the eyes of the other humans.

He chuckled.

"Not exactly, Blue. Pack structure is slightly easier than office hierarchy."

_I doubt it._

Well, maybe. At least the park was running and the animals living in it weren't in any danger of being shot down just because of one insane experiment.

Owen knew that not all eggs at Hammond Labs had been destroyed, that there were babies hatching, that the other keepers, trainers and wardens had their hands full. They were raising new dinosaurs, taking care of their herds or individual charges, and they were dedicated.

Masrani had hired Owen knowing what he could do, and he had done it. He had done something no talented should do and he had successfully created a pack of raptors that was loyal to him. He was convinced Masrani hadn't planned on this kind of outcome.

Well. Fuck them.

Charlie's cry in the distance spoke of a successful hunt and Owen felt a burst of pleasure from her as she swallowed a bird she had caught, much to Delta's dismay. Her prey had escaped.

He finally wandered along the well-trodden path that lead deeper into the former Jurassic Park, stepping over ancient, rusted signs pointing to long-forgotten attractions or stopping visitors from entering. Even the rails where the passenger cars had run were still there, overgrown, barely visible, leading to concrete stumps with metal bars sticking into the sky. Everything was buried underneath vines, grass and moss.

The trees had grown tall, overshadowing the ruins, and the spots in the shade were cool. Owen just walked, though not completely aimlessly, and followed the old guide rail, smiling a little to himself as he thought back to the beginning of this park. Like everyone working here he had been given a deeper insight, and Alan had told him the rest.

Charlie burst out of the underbrush, excited to have caught her third bird, though all had been nothing but snacks. They hardly represented a filling meal.

Owen grinned and gave her a mental pat, then sent her off back to the others.

Blue was at the old ferry landing when he got there, eyes on the ocean, head cocked thoughtfully. Raptors could swim, Owen knew, and there had been incidents in some coastal regions of Costa Rica that had been swiped under the rug as best as possible involving raptors. His own pack wasn't really inclined to jump into the ocean and aside from getting sprayed with water from a hose, they hadn't really expressed an interest in bodies of water.

"Long swim," Owen told her as he joined his beta.

She snorted, as if to say not to be stupid. Well, what came across the bond felt like it, too.

_Why would we want to leave? Our territory._

The restricted area especially.

She gazed at him, long, silently, seriously.

"This is yours," Owen finally said out loud.

_Ours._

She turned away from the pier and headed back down the path. Owen was at her side, resting a hand on her muscular shoulder.

He would have to make plans to map the restricted area more thoroughly. He would have to draw up plans, evaluate the old ones.

x XX JW XX x

The pack stayed out here until it was almost time to meet Alan at the Hilton. Owen reached out and called them with a sharp whistle, accompanied by a tug along the bond.

Blue almost noiselessly came out of the dense foliage and made a clicking sound, ending with a rumble.

The others rushed over, chittering, elated and still full of energy.

Owen grinned and got onto his bike.

They raced back at full speed, the alpha in front, the pack after him, looking almost like a chase.

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"Are you sure?" Alan asked.

Owen shrugged. They were almost alone in the vast plaza of the main street, closed souvenir shops and restaurants around them. The Innovations Lab entrance was barred and dark. Starbucks was open, as was Winston's Steakhouse and Margaritaville. Alcohol had flown freely in the first few days. Now operations were running and Masrani expected his employees to be sober.

They still met regularly after hours at the bar.

He and Alan had had a great steak dinner, had drunk two beers, and were now enjoying the evening at the plaza.

"That's… a lot, Owen. And it sounds a bit too much like science fiction."

He chuckled. "Like a theme park and zoo with real dinosaurs? No animatronics, no puppets, no fakes?"

Alan grimaced. "Okay, a bit more fantasy than that already. You can't really think they… created that thing for you."

"No. They created the i-rex and groomed me simultaneously into its handler."

It was something that had been going around his head for a while now.

"I felt her, Alan. She was as clear to me in the end as the girls are right now. She invaded the pack bond like she had been meant to. I think Masrani knew to what extent the bond had grown. I mean, it's clear, right? They hired me for that purpose. They tested every talented person and I came out on top, got first place and she was my prize."

"Still far-fetched. She wanted to kill you."

"She wanted to kill everyone. I was an instrument to control her. She didn't want control. She wanted freedom. I understand the motivation, but the way they mixed her DNA, she was a psychopathic, uncontrollable thing."

"Animals aren't born evil."

"No. Then again, she wasn't born, right?"

Alan raised his eyebrows, but he didn't argue. They strolled along the plaza, then headed toward the lagoon. The empty stands echoed eerily as they sat down, enjoying the warmth, the sunshine, the few clouds drifting across the sky.

Owen's eyes were on that blue, blue sky. It was a beautiful day, moderate temperatures, no rain forecast. In the past it would have been a day filling the park with up to thirty thousand people. Now there were hardly a hundred.

"You're still staying?" Alan asked.

"Yeah."

"Knowing they used you? Knowing what they know about you?"

"I'm not the only talented, Professor."

"You are number one, remember?"

He lifted one corner of his mouth. "I can't leave them."

"Because they would never leave you?"

"I did something my grandfather warned me about. I lost myself in the bond. I actively reached out and let them touch me, let them see me as I am, and I connected. They connected. It's not something you can just break and go back to a normal life. This has gone on too long, has gotten too deep, to pull out. My grandfather never said who he had known, who that person was he had warned me of becoming. I just know that she apparently lost herself completely, forgot she was human."

"You haven't."

"No."

"Why?" Alan asked, openly curious.

"I don't know. I really don't," Owen answered truthfully. "None of them tries to pull me in. It's… co-existence, really. We all profit from it."

"But you won't ever leave this place."

"As long as the pack is here."

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"Don't you miss going out? I mean, leave the island and just… take a holiday?"

Owen looked out over the beautiful, green, lush jungle stretching out before them, crawling up the mountains. The sun was still out, the sky was blue, the clouds moving lazily, but there was no threat of rain. A mild breeze was blowing.

"No," he finally said, feeling completely at ease.

"No big city urges? You don't want to fly out to L.A. or New York? To Miami? Go skiing?"

He chuckled and looked at Nancy. "Again, no. I've never been a fan of the big cities."

"And skiing is highly overrated," Reggie commented, mouth full of steak with garlic butter. "Man, that stuff is good. I need another beer." He sauntered off to the cooler.

"No plans then," Nancy concluded.

"No. None at all. I've got everything right here. I'm their alpha, Nance. I'm needed right here. It's their protection."

"I've heard about your sheep dog impressions. Good work."

"They want to do something. They need a job." Owen swirled the beer around in his bottle. "After everything that happened, the island is now their territory. All of it. They guard it."

Nancy looked at him, thoughtful, silent, then smiled slightly. "A lifetime job, hm?"

"Yeah."

"What about adopting more raptors?"

Owen snorted. "First of all, there are no eggs. Second, no. Those four are enough. A larger pack means a strong chance of losing control over them. This is still an experiment, one that requires more than just feeding them and training them to listen to my whistles."

Nancy nodded. "I know. I'm still reluctant to get closer to my mosa. I want to, seeing what you can do, but it scares me. It really does. She's not a raptor and her awareness of me is maybe just a fraction of yours, but she's a powerful mind, especially when she hunts."

"I can't really teach you how to approach her," Owen told her. "I can feel her like a background noise. I wouldn't try it myself. It might interrupt the bond. I'm not even sure I could guide you."

"Would you just… sit with me? I mean, for security."

"Security blanket?" Owen teased.

She elbowed him playfully. "Shut it, Grady."

He grinned. "Hey, I'm game."

"Great. So tell me about your girls."

And he did.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Owen had long since accepted that Isla Nublar would be his home for a long time; not just months. Years. Maybe even decades. No one knew how long a raptor really lived, because the other packs had either died of infections, had been shot, had killed each other or had been eaten by a furious t-rex. Not to mention hunters who had seen it as fun to pick off dangerous predators one by one.

No, there was no study on the age of raptors, but Owen would protect his pack to the very end.

That in mind he spent a lot of time with the other talented when he wasn't taking care of the pack or matters concerning the raptors. The other keepers and trainers were turning to him for help with their own charges sometimes, as if Owen knew everything there was about this kind of ability. He wanted to help them figure it out, so he took the time he needed.

Reggie was an easy-going guy who loved big animals. Owen found that the gigantic apatosaurs were acutely aware of where their keeper was. He was tiny compared to them, but he was never in any danger of getting stepped on. They would actively avoid setting down their feet if it was too close to him.

"Wow," Owen commented.

Reggie smiled proudly.

"They're not pack. They're a herd. One leader, usually the oldest female, and I feel her the most. Her and the youngest ones that are introduced to the herd. They're usually all over the place. Like bouncing balls. Becky, the lead female, is a calm, deep well."

Owen nodded at the description. "Can you lead her? Direct her?"

"A little. I call them and I don't think it's just the call they follow. I can reach Becky and she… does the rest."

Reggie fidgeted a little and one of the apatosaurs turned toward them. They were up on a viewing platform only accessible for park personnel. One of the apatosaurs approached, each step slow and measures, head bopping slightly, and then she snorted softly.

"Hey there, Becks," Reggie greeted her.

Owen watched the interaction, smiling slightly. Reggie might not have the same depths of a bond with the gigantic creatures as he had to his own pack, but there was something there.

And like the others he had already talked to, he wouldn't want to take it further. Owen was no expert, but he suspected that getting close to a herbivore like Becky wasn't as intense as a predator would be.

Becky leaned in closer and Reggie chuckled, patting her muzzle.

"Can she feel it?" Owen asked.

The other man tilted his head, like he was thinking about it. "Ye-eah. She can, because… she feels me."

Owen nodded. The skin of the massive animals was too thick to allow them to feel such a miniscule touch. Humans weren't strong enough to make themselves known by a pat, not even by hitting with a fist.

Reggie was a preternatural, though, and this was his herd.

x XX JW XX x

Nancy sat on her platform, looking out over the lagoon, legs folded under her. She closed her eyes, breathing in deeply, releasing a breath just as slowly.

Owen had never been one for meditation, but Nancy had told him it helped her work on her abilities. She was afraid of getting too close to the mosasaurus, but she was also determined to learn as much as possible.

He had come by with fresh muffins and a strong, black coffee. Monday was always mosa day. Owen would come by, coffee and something sweet in his hands, and he would sit with Nancy.

Her security blanket.

Owen had no clue what to do if she got lost in the mosa's sharp mind. But this was more of a psychological help than a real aid. Nancy had asked him to sit in.

In the beginning he had even held her hand.

Today the mosasaur came in almost lazily, the back ridges breaching through the water, then she dove a little deeper. She came back up, turning onto her side, slapping her pectoral fin onto the water's surface.

Owen watched her curiously, keeping half an eye on Nancy, who looked like she was sleeping. Deeply relaxed.

She opened her eyes after fifteen to twenty more minutes, blinking like she was waking from sleep.

Owen gave her a smile. "Good ride?"

She chuckled. "In a way. She was rather calm today."

He held out a muffin to her. Nancy took it and accepted the thermos with the still hot coffee, too.

It was a ritual and it helped. The sugar and the caffeine.

"How's it going with you?" Nancy asked as she ate her raspberry muffin, looking delighted about his choice.

"Same old. The pack's fine."

"You wouldn't be here if they weren't."

Only too true.

"How's Professor Grant doing? I've talked to him when I ran into the man at B&amp;J's. For almost an hour! He's amazing."

"He's doing okay, though he still doesn't trust Blue or the others."

"Can you blame the guy?" Nancy asked, eating the last of her muffin.

"I understand the past, Nance. I also understand his reasoning. But he knows what I did. He understands who I am with the pack."

"Owen, you're my friend and I trust you when it comes to these exercises," Nancy said, looking him in the eyes. "But I wouldn't step into that enclosure for a million dollars. You are their alpha. We are… not pack. I wouldn't even jump into the lagoon and take a dive with my lady down there, and I've known her since she hatched. They are all very dangerous animals for everyone. Your pack is unique and you are just that. You are an amazing man and what you five have is unparalleled."

Owen looked at the shadow deep down in the lagoon, swimming lazily around.

He understood them. He simply thought Alan would trust him to know that the pack was safe for him.

Nancy placed a gentle hand on his forearm and squeezed. "The guy got nearly eaten too many times. Once is one time too many. He came here. He stays here. He drives out to your place to spend time with you. And I've seen him quiz Josh about Rexy for almost two hours while they also fed her. I'm not a psychologist, but for someone who hadn't stepped on Isla Nublar for all the money Masrani Global was ready offer, coming to visit you was a huge, huge step."

He nodded.

The mosa broke the surface, half on her side, only her head over the surface, and she opened her jaw.

Nancy chuckled. "Hungry," she commented.

"She told you?"

"Not in so many words, but I can feel her demands. And that, what she does right now, is also a clear sign."

Owen got up. "Then I'll let you get to that."

"Say hello to Professor Grant."

He waved and walked back toward the Main Street.

In the back of his mind was a light pressure. He reached for it and felt Blue's relaxed presence. The pack was out in the restricted area, patrolling their territory, exploring, and chasing whatever they found.

Owen stopped in the shade and reached further, briefly closing his eyes and envisioning his beta.

And then he was suddenly there, seeing Echo and Delta as they nosed around what was left of the former visitor center. Charlie was chewing on something that might have been a bird. Blue snorted with amusement and trotted off, Owen in her head, heading for the old helicopter landing site. It was an open place, overlooking the jungle on one side, a wall of green not far away on the other.

_Free._

You're always free, Owen thought.

_So are you. When you are with us. _

He had never been with them like this. It was a first, but it felt natural. It wasn't a shock to his system, it didn't render him speechless, paralyzed him, made him want to scream.

It was simply beautiful.

He blinked and was suddenly back on Main Street. A grin was on his lips.

"Whoa. Cool," he murmured.

And it had been.

tbc...


	15. Chapter 15

Claire Dearing came back to the park a few days after Alan Grant's arrival, once more in charge of Jurassic World, and Owen found himself relax a little more. After everything they had gone through together he knew he could trust her.

"Good to have you back," he told her.

Claire, standing in front of the bottom to ceiling window of her new old office, dressed once again in white, turned her head and smiled at him. She had the same haircut, the same discrete make-up, the same pale skin.

What had changed was the expression in her blue eyes. There was something there, a knowledge, a memory, and a new kind of understanding.

"I have to thank you for that."

"Me? How come?"

"I think Mr. Masrani was quite impressed with you. He said that one of your conditions for working at the park as you have was that I would come back."

Owen frowned. "I recommended that he reinstate you as park manager. I never pushed or put a gun to his head with my conditions. He knows that I'd stay here no matter what."

"Because of the pack, yes, but Simon wants your cooperation, not your opposition. You have a very unique position, Owen, never forget that."

"Alpha raptor?"

She nodded with a fine smile. "You're a very strong preternatural and Masrani has no idea how far your reach goes."

His frown deepened, then he shrugged. "I'm glad you're back."

"As am I, believe it or not."

"How are Zach and Gray?"

"Better than many adults. They know it wasn't a gas attack or terrorists, but they also know they can't talk about it. We talked a lot. I spent a lot of time with my sister and brother-in-law, with Zach and Gray." Her expression was wistful. "Now I'm back."

He nodded.

She was back and it felt like normalcy.

x XX JW XX x

Everyone had come together to welcome their park manager and Claire had been visibly touched. The cake was delicious, the muffins and cookies from the bakery didn't last long, and by the end of the day everyone was full and almost in a sugar coma.

Alan was there, keeping to sodas and other non-alcoholic drinks, just like Owen. Grady had no idea what would happen to the pack bond should he get drunk.

He met Claire's eyes and raised his glass. "Welcome home."

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Alan stood outside the raptor enclosure, trying to fight against the tension in his whole body as he watched Owen work with his pack. All four raptors were without their muzzles, standing around Owen, watching him curiously as he was strapping something to Delta's back.

He had been on Isla Nublar for ten days now and he had gotten to know the pack a little better. Alan had learned to tell apart the individual raptors, though it wasn't too complicated because of the different color markings. Still, they also had different personalities.

Owen's place in the pack was undisputed and unchallenged. Grant would have thought that Blue might want to take over from a human alpha, but she kept the other three in line and stood solidly next to Owen. The alpha could touch them all without a problem and even with his back turned to the lethal predators there was never any danger.

Now Owen was crawling around Delta's belly and adjusting the harness, ignoring sharp claws and teeth.

"I want them to record where they go," Owen had told Alan. "It's a good way to see other sides of the restricted area."

He had cobbled together a harness that didn't hinder the raptors in their movement and wouldn't catch in the branches of a low tree or a bush. There were two cameras attached to the shoulder harness, left and right, just in case one was torn off or malfunctioned.

Delta craned her neck and watched her alpha work. Owen pushed against her curious nose and Alan felt his hands clench around the metal bars.

Blue looked away from Delta and Owen, meeting Alan's eyes. Her expression was not human and hard to read, but despite that she had no real facial movement, her exasperation was almost clear to see.

It was one thing Alan had learned quite quickly: there was a lot more to the pack beta than he had ever thought possible. She was more than a raptor. Her connection to Owen had expanded her mind… and whatever else Dr. Wu had done to her DNA.

If Alan was talented, he suspected he would be able to feel her attempt to communicate. But that razor-sharp expression was more than enough.

Owen had repeatedly told him that Blue couldn't talk and the communication was not in words. Owen's brain simply translated it. Still, the raptors were so much more than animals. While Charlie, Delta and Echo didn't interact with their alpha the way Blue did, they weren't different. They simply accepted their lower ranks.

Blue snorted, shaking her head. Her fingers twitched, almost impatiently.

Alan forced himself to breathe, though he couldn't get used to such dangerous predators moving unrestrained around a human being.

One bite.

Just one swipe of a claw.

Blue's nostrils blew open wide and she shook her head again. Her eyes were fixed on Alan, the intensity frightening. She looked like she was scowling at him, berating him for his negative thoughts. There was a touch of exasperation and a lot of disgust.

Yes, Owen was the alpha and the pack respected him, but still… the past was hard to shake off.

"Done," Owen announced, straightened from where he had secured the harness under Delta's belly.

Blue turned her attention back on her alpha and Alan found himself breathing easier once more.

"And it looks good." Owen patted Delta's neck. "Fashionable, too. For being stitched together from scrap."

Delta blinked and shifted her a weight a little, like testing the new addition to her body.

"She doesn't even really feel it," Owen told the professor as he walked over to the fence. "I did my best to soften it up. It's an old horse harness, for pulling wagons, and I had to take out some parts to make it smaller and more flexible for them. Shouldn't bother her scars. She knows what it's for, too."

"Why Delta and not Blue?"

"Blue's keeping an eye on things when they're out there. Delta is regular pack, so she can run wherever she wants. If this works I'll add more harnesses. The cameras have GPS, so it helps in mapping the island, too."

Alan nodded. Blue had silently come closer, stopping behind her alpha, regarding Alan like she was trying to bring something across. Grant wouldn't trust her even if she could talk and swore she was a harmless, fluffy bunny.

He knew velociraptors were anything but harmless. They were killing machines, created to bring down prey bigger than them.

And Hammond had given them the little extra the general public expected when they heard 'velociraptor'. Masrani had simply continued the work.

"I'll take them to the restricted area and see how it all works out." Owen raised his eyebrows, offering silently.

Alan shook his head. "Thanks, but no. Really no. I've an appointment with some of the guys down at the Labs. They agreed to show me the i-rex skeleton. Ms. Dearing mentioned that they're going to mount it behind the scenes; for research purposes."

Owen scowled. "I had hoped they would just pack it all up and store it somewhere it wouldn't be seen ever again."

Alan nodded. He understood the feeling. His own concerning certain dinosaurs were the same.

Blue snorted softly and Owen rested a hand against her neck like it was the most natural thing in the world. And for him it was.

Natural.

Normal.

Alan would never get used to it, but looking at the warm, relaxed expression in Owen's eyes and the attentive way Blue looked at him, this was what their relationship was all about.

In the background, Charlie and Echo were sniffing and nosing at the harness Delta wore. Delta herself looked almost proud with her new addition. She shouldered Charlie away and snapped at Echo when the other raptors wanted to nibble at the leathers.

"I'll see you later then," Owen said, grinning at his pack's antics.

"You can find me in the Labs."

Grady waved and started to prepare for the ride into the restricted area.

x XX JW XX x

The camera survey worked like a charm. Delta was the proud camera girl and she chirped, head held high, aware that she had done a really good job.

Owen chuckled as he freed her of the harness, which he would clean and stow for the next time.

"Yeah, you were great, Delta."

She whuffled, shooting pointed looks at her pack mates. Blue watched with silent amusement, then snapped playfully at the lower-ranked raptor as Delta pranced around her.

"Go and play or whatever," Owen laughed.

He would download the camera feed and study it tonight. He also had an idea for a head-mounted camera already.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Alan stayed for almost a month.

At the end of that time he almost reluctantly left again.

"Masrani offered me a consultant position," Alan told Owen over breakfast on his last day.

Owen looked up, surprised. "And?"

"Thinking about it."

"You are? I'm surprised."

Alan chuckled. "I haven't hit my head somewhere, if you are thinking that. I believe things have changed. More than I would have thought. Some are still the same, though, and the old mistakes are repeated in new ways."

"You want to be the voice of reason?"

"Since Mr. Masrani offered to listen, which is rare enough, I believe I should give it a try."

Owen grinned. "Well, yeah. You should."

"It doesn't mean I'm going to move here," Alan cautioned him. "I'll just be here from time to time."

"And you'll always be welcome."

"I have to confess the hotel is comfortable."

Owen chuckled and raised his coffee. "Cheers."

x XX JW XX x

He watched the helicopter take off a few hours later. Alan waved and Owen grinned briefly as he saluted him.

He knew Alan would be back.

The man was way too invested and too fascinated by the dinosaurs, especially the velociraptors.

When the helicopter was only a spec in the distance, Owen walked slowly back toward the hotel. He took the garden path to the front, then decided to go into the still closed theme park. He ran into Laurel and Reggie, who were chatting animatedly, and Laurel gave him a bright smile.

"Hey. You want to come over for movie night? Fatih and Luis got the theater up and running. We also have a direct line into one of the best movie systems."

"What's showing?"

"You can still vote for Indiana Jones, Breakfast at Tiffany's or Star Wars."

"Which Indiana Jones and which Star Wars movie?"

Reggie chuckled. "You just vote. Then Luis hits the shuffle key and the system decides."

Owen grimaced. "Breakfast at Tiffany's it is then."

"You have no sense for adventure," Laurel teased.

"I've got plenty, but there is a line I draw," he replied.

She laughed. "We've got popcorn. Movie starts at six. Barbecue is planned afterwards if you want to stay."

Owen shrugged. "Sure."

"What about your girls?"

"They'll be fine."

And they would be.

"See you at six then."

x XX JW XX x

The pack awaited him when he was back and he smoothly opened the bond to welcome them.

"Okay, ladies. Time to train."

Excitement rippled through the bond, a buzzing hum accompanied by the yips from the raptors in Owen's mind. He opened the door and the pack joined him. Blue was her regal self as she stood next to the alpha, quietly and without complaint accepting the muzzle. Delta seemed a little put-upon, Echo was too bouncy to bother with telling her alpha she didn't like the muzzle, and Charlie was mirroring Blue's behavior.

"Let's go then."

x XX JW XX x

They headed over to Gallimimus Valley, rounding up the herd and corralling the nervously bleating dinosaurs into one spot. Owen whistled, directing his pack to where he wanted each one of them, and he used the bond to envision his plan.

Like sheep dogs the raptors handled the nervous herbivores without so much as scratching them. Their jaws snapped closed just inches from their prey, directing them, but they all listened to Owen not to take one down.

"Good!" he lauded, proud of them all. "You did really good!"

Blue's expression spoke of the same pride.

"Now let's get them to their stables."

The gallimimus keepers had been severely thinned out. Miguel Valdez, the team leader, had been gravely injured by the i-rex. Two of his team had quit. The remaining two, Charlie McDowell and Rico Juan, were severely overwhelmed by what had to be done, so Owen pitched in. Getting the gallimimus into the stables to receive their annual shots.

Using the Raptor Squad.

It was their territory. All of the island. They understood the necessity to keep things in order, to help, because Owen had told them.

And because Blue truly understood. She was most directly connected to their alpha and her way of thinking had meshed with Owens, like his own understood a raptor mind.

The gallimimus moved nervously, but none tried to break out. The pack watched them with sharp eyes and coiled muscles, ready to intercept a possible break-out attempt.

Blue looked at him and Owen made the gesture to get going, to bring the herd home.

x XX JW XX x

They milled around outside the stables, pleased, deeply satisfied with a job well-done, drawing looks of unease and fascination from the other keepers.

Blue nosed at his shoulder, drawing a wide-eyed look from the vet's assistant. He had come in a few days ago to replace the still hospitalized Marcus.

He rested his hand on her muscular neck.

_Home._

"Go," Owen agreed.

_Later_. _You have somewhere to be._

He chuckled, rubbing his palm over her cheek. Yeah, he had a movie date.

"See you then."

The muzzles were still off and he didn't put them on again. It would be cruel to send the pack home and leave them bound like that.

Owen trusted them.

Absolutely.

Blue sent her reassurance that nothing would happen. Maybe a bird would end up as a snack, but they wouldn't hurt the humans.

The pack sauntered off, trotting toward the valley, heading home. The long way.

"Have fun," he murmured, the bond transmitting it clearly.

And they would.

Owen himself got on his bike, securing the muzzles in his saddle bag, and headed the other way, toward the theater.

It would be good to relax with the others, have dinner with people who understood what he had done, who shared a similar talent.

_Good for you_.

Owen blinked, then smiled a little. Blue and the others were still close by, trailing him, and only now did they truly veer off to go into the restricted area.

Good for him. To be human for a while. To be his other self.

He wasn't a raptor and never would be, but he was the alpha of the pack.

Laurel and Nancy were already there, waving. Reggie held a bag of popcorn with the bright image of a stegosaurus on the side. He had a beer in his other hand.

"Finally!" he called. "C'mon, Grady! Film's about to start."

He laughed and accepted a beer, then followed his friends into the theater.

tbc...


	16. Chapter 16

He felt them in the back of his mind, sated, lazy, enjoying the jungle, chasing prey without actually hunting, and Blue kept a watchful eye on the rest of the pack.

Owen switched off the light as he parked his bike. It was after nightfall and he had been away longer than he had thought. And he had enjoyed himself.

Stretching himself along the bond he called them back to spend the night safely in the raptor paddock. The island was under heavy guard and he didn't want any of the troopers to shoot at the pack accidentally.

_You enjoyed yourself_, Blue stated.

Yes, he had. He needed both, human contact and interaction, socializing with others, and the time with the pack.

Her presence increased and Owen smiled as the four shapes came out of the darkness, smooth and lithe, the born predators. Blue's low rumbling bark told the others to get into the paddock. Owen gave them the last push.

Then he got up from the porch steps and walked over to Blue, stroking her muscular neck.

Healthy. Warm. Post-hunt buzz humming through them.

"Yeah, I enjoyed myself. So did you."

_Do you miss being you?_

Owen had long since accepted that communication with Blue was like talking but then again not talking; that his brain seemed to be some kind of universal translator when it came to them.

Now he looked into the intelligent eyes, felt the almost human intelligence of her mind flow around his own.

"No. I would miss you. All of you."

She pushed her nose against his neck, hot breath against his skin.

_You are different. You need your own._

"You are my own," he murmured, scratching along her jaw.

He had raised them. He had gone through all the rough spots, all the joy, all the learning experiences with them.

But Delta, Charlie, Echo and Blue were no ducklings. They didn't follow blindly and Owen didn't lead without thought. He understood his responsibilities and he had always taken them seriously. He had their loyalty, right down to the moment where they had stood with him against the i-rex.

"I've got friends in town. I've got you. I'm here to stay. Don't worry."

_We don't. We care._

There it was again, that warmth, that burst of something he couldn't out into words. He didn't have to when it came to his pack, and he had never tried to explain it to one of his friends.

They all looked at him, serious, acknowledging. Charlie whuffled softly and Echo dipped her head like she was nodding. Delta rumbled her agreement.

Scarred but alive, the pack was still there and would always be there. The i-rex had fused them even more into one unit and there would never be any doubt as to where they stood, who they were, and who they were with.

He gave Blue a light pat. "Let's get you ladies settled."

They walked over to the stables. Delta playfully butted heads with Echo and Charlie nosed around a pile of wood and metal, pulling out what looked like an old soccer ball. She happily bit into it and started to chew. It wouldn't last long. He watched them all with a fond expression, calm energy and assertiveness, projecting alpha without really needing to try.

"Time to go inside," he called, making the short, commanding gesture that meant for them to get into the paddock for the night.

They all crowded close, purring, chirping, and he stroked over their noses, then sent them off to get some rest. Blue tilted her head, looking at him.

_We would last a few days without you._

It sounded almost teasing.

"There's too much to do here to think about vacation days," he replied. "It's too important."

_The pack is important._

"Yes."

_We protect._

"Yeah. We do."

Blue gave him another look, then joined the others. Owen locked the gate. It was mandatory, even though he knew the pack would never leave or go on a hunting spree. He simply complied with regulations.

When he fell asleep it was with the warm sensation of being surrounded by his raptors. It was a blanket that encased him, kept him safe, comfortable, warm.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Owen had never been one for meditation and he would have been the first to say he would probably fall asleep within minutes of trying it.

That was before getting hired as Jurassic World's raptor trainer and becoming alpha to a pack of four very unique and intelligent dinosaurs. And before he watched Nancy with her own version of mediation exercises when she was alone with her mosasaurus.

There was a difference between Owen and Nancy, though. Nancy was a low-level preternatural who had never delved too deeply into what she could do. She used her abilities to work with her charge, but she had never touched the mosa on a more personal level. It was all surface, no depth.

Owen had gone past surface so fast, he wasn't even sure he had ever been in surface contact. Not with Blue. Not with any of the pack that later followed.

So meditation was something he wasn't really keen on trying.

But he was curious.

And after everything that had happened, after almost losing his four girls and actually losing friends and colleagues to a psychopathic dinosaur, he thought he might just give it a shot.

It might help him balance the bond in times of extreme stress.

It might let him reach the pack through pain and aggression to rein them in should something happen.

Owen had no idea about mediation as such, so he watched Nancy until the other trainer laughed and told him to just ask what he wanted to know.

x XX JW XX x

Nancy taught him easy relaxation techniques.

"You need to find your own way, Owen," she told him over spaghetti and meat balls one evening. "You're insanely powerful compared to me. Heck, to all of us here. I don't think your girls would harm you, but there are four of them and they've been with you for so long now, it might be almost too easy to slip along that bond and stay there.

He nodded.

For now he wouldn't risk it. He had no safety line and no anchor. Knowing he could calm himself and spread that calm was enough.

He was he alpha. It meant to be calm, assertive, in charge.

In every situation.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

When the call came in, Owen was just done with breakfast and switching on the dishwasher. He had cleaned his kitchen, had written a list on what he needed to stock up with, and he primarily needed coffee. He also had plans to drop by the meat kitchens before meeting up with Josh and Laurel.

His caller ID said 'Mom' and that surprised him a little. He hadn't lost contact with his parents in the past years. His parents had actually come to Isla Nublar a few times to visit their son, bringing other family members along sometimes. While they had been frightened for their son when the whole i-rex mess had been publicized – the heavily edited-by-Masrani-Global-version – they had accepted his decision to continue working.

They knew what had happened when he had become the pack alpha. They knew he had made a mistake that his grandfather had warned him about.

And they had accepted that Owen was now bound to a pack of velociraptors.

"Hey, mom," he answered the call.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Owen stood outside the paddock, mind numb. He felt the sun on his skin, the sunglasses keeping out the glare, and the wind in his hair. The smell of the jungle hung heavily in the air.

_Owen._

He blinked and focused on the raptor joining him almost silently. The paddock gates were open, allowing his four girls to walk around freely, as long as they didn't leave the immediate are of his house.

_Death happened._

"Yeah."

_Loss._

He nodded. Emotions rose inside him and he tried to push them away from the pack bond. He didn't need the raptors to experience human grief.

Blue nosed against his shoulder, blowing warm air against the skin of his neck. He smiled a little and leaned his cheek against her muzzle. It was an almost automatic reaction on his part.

_You mourn. Like you did for the loss before._

Yes, he had mourned the loss of human life at the park. The pack hadn't understood like another human being might, but they had helped buffer the emotions.

"I do. I lost part of my family, Blue."

His grandmother had died. Unexpectedly. No sickness, no accident. At ninety-two she had been full of life, had never had more than a mild cold in her life, and she had called him just last week to ask about his work with the pack.

Her burial would be in two days.

He had to go.

Blue nosed against him again and he turned, looking into the cool eyes. She was a solid, calm presence in his mind.

_You have to go._

The others had come closer, milling around, watching and waiting.

"I can't… You…"

_You have to go. We will be fine._

How would they be fine? Owen trusted no one to take care of the pack like he did, to accept them and treat them as equals. Security would be swarming this place, troopers everywhere, and if one felt threatened by a raptor…

_Territory._

Suddenly he was reminded of the restricted area, as if Blue had pushed he image at him. They would be there, set not a single toe outside it, and they would be okay.

And Claire would keep them safe, too.

Charlie, Delta and Echo had closed in around him, humming, rumbling, whining, surrounding his mind like a safety net. They reassured him, promised him that they would be perfectly well-behaved, and he rubbed over their muzzles and scratched their jaws.

x XX JW XX x

Claire told him the same as Blue, though in more words.

"No one will harm the pack. Go and be with your family, Owen."

Blue, firmly in the back of his mind like an irremovable anchor line, agreed. She would take care of the pack and she would take care of their territory. Owen was their alpha, but he was needed somewhere else, and while it was hard, she would accept it.

Temporarily.

Owen almost smiled.

"Thanks," he said, addressing both in a way.

x XX JW XX x

Two days later he said good-bye to his grandmother on a perfectly sunny day, looking into the grave and wishing he had had the time to say a proper good-bye.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Owen stayed a week after that. He called Claire daily, got updates on the pack – though they were rarely ever seen – and he felt a little more relaxed.

Nothing had happened so far. The park was running, the keepers were taking care of their animals, training them, keeping them entertained and fed and happy. Laurel sent him a picture of everyone in front of Margaritaville, a colorfully decorated glass in hand, smiling and laughing.

Claire had added a quick shot of the pack as they had been seen from a helicopter patrol in the restricted area. Four shadows, barely perceptible, but Owen knew it was them.

He missed them.

The distance had stretched the bond thin, made it impossible for him to feel the gentle background hum. He was suddenly alone in his head and it was a very disturbing feeling.

Like losing an important part of him.

Like this wasn't him.

Like living another life he didn't want.

Owen just hoped that his girls were doing well enough on their own. He had no idea if they were as affected by the loss of their alpha as he was by the loss of his pack.

Claire had reassured him that they weren't showing signs of distress or aggression, though they didn't really show themselves all too often or very long. She and Josh had come as close as they had dared, using long-distance binoculars to catch a look, and as if Blue had known, she had briefly come out and then disappeared again.

Yeah, he missed them. All of them.

tbc...


	17. Chapter 17

He talked to his parents a lot. Not just about his grandmother, but also about everything else. About his job, about the baby raptors he had raised and who had become pack. About opening up and accepting them along a bond that his grandfather had warned him about.

"Who was the woman? The one who lost herself?" he wanted to know one evening.

His mother exchanged a look with his father, then sighed softly. "His sister."

"He had a sister?"

She smiled sadly. "Aunt Sarah. She shared his talent. She was incredibly talented, with an intensity to her that was sometimes scary. She was older by ten years. I only knew her for a while, but I always admired her way with animals. She loved big cats and she went to work with a zoo at first, then travelled all over the world."

"What happened?"

"Sarah went to work at the Hunchun National Siberian Tiger Nature Reserve in northeastern China, near the border of North Korea. She had accompanied several zoo tigers to the place to be released into the wild. They had always been her favorite of all the big cats and she was an expert when it came to handling tigers."

"She got too close," his father went on, taking his wife's hand and squeezing it. "Closer and closer with every day and week she spent there. Your grampa never really talked about it, but I think she lost herself in a bond to the cats. She let herself get pulled into a mind we humans cannot understand."

"Tigers are loners. They don't run in prides," Owen said slowly.

"She didn't need a whole pride to get lost. Just the strength and single mind of a powerful predator she had raised from a cub to a fully grown male. She was used to him; she was too familiar with that mind. So Sarah got in too deep and lost herself."

"What happened to her?"

"She… left."

Owen blinked. "She died?"

"Oh no." His mother shook her head. "Dad said Aunt Sarah followed her tiger into the wild. She packed her things and was gone. Search parties thought they saw her now and then, but aside from a few tracks there was nothing."

"She… followed a tiger?"

"As far as we know. Dad called it letting go of humanity and being the other mind."

"But she's human…"

Owen had never had any urges he associated with the raptors. He had never felt he was a raptor and he clearly remembered he was human.

"Dad flew down to China a few times while I was still young," his mother said softly. "He once took me and Mom along. I was sixteen. He said there had been signs of Aunt Sarah and there were pictures. Of a woman and a tiger."

"Where there?"

She nodded. "They described the woman as feral. And the tiger would push her into the forest where they would disappear. Dad never saw her and he once told me that Sarah probably died not much later."

Owen was silent. "I'm not like that," he finally said.

"I know, honey. We all know. Your grandma, too. She said you had inherited Sarah's strength in talent and your grampa's control over it."

Owen smiled almost wistfully. His grandma had told him so over Skype and through emails sometimes. He had never really believed it, that he was as strong as she had claimed, that he had this much control.

"You do, kiddo," she had told him when he had doubted her. "Not many have what you do. There are people in this world who have a talent with animals. There are those few who have it with humans, but that comes with a price because a human brain is so much more complex. Insanity is their fate. But you, Owen, you have grown into what you can do. They challenged you, they helped you grow, they shaped your abilities."

Yes, they had.

Maybe he had made a mistake in allowing Blue to connect, paving the way for the others to follow, but she had helped him evolve, as he had helped them develop their abilities in turn.

It had been an amazing journey and it wasn't over.

But he wouldn't end like his great-aunt Sarah. He wouldn't lose himself. Owen felt no pull toward the wild, to be a velociraptor, to leave humanity and his life behind. He needed the balance of both; it helped him be such a good and strong alpha.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

When it was time to fly back to Costa Rica, his parents hugged him, made him promise to call.

"We're proud of you, Owen," his father told him. "And your grandma always felt proud of you, too. Always remember that."

He would.

x XX JW XX x

He arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica's capital, his last airport stop before flying out to Isla Nublar's ferry airport the next morning, and crashed in a hotel.

By morning he was informed that because Turrialba, a volcano that had been active since the day before, had erupted again this morning, all flights out of San Jose had been canceled.

"Fuck," Owen growled and called Claire.

x XX JW XX x

He was allowed to fly out a day later.

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Stepping back onto the island after two weeks of absence was more than coming home. It was a feeling of completion, of a warm welcome from every living soul that was otherwise unable to greet him verbally. Owen felt them, the dinosaurs, like a wave in the distance, coming closer, but not a threat. It was warmth and it was rightness.

And in the middle of it all was a beacon, a sharpness that belonged to him, that was him, that embraced him completely as it closed the distance. It was coiled power, ready to spring into action, incredibly dangerous and yet so soft and almost loving when it came to touching Owen's mind and soul.

He inhaled deeply, the fresh smell of the jungle, the trees, the flowers, the grass. He listened to the calls of birds and dinosaurs, and he smiled.

He felt calm.

Settled.

Grounded.

Only now was Owen aware how frazzled part of his mind had been, how dislocated he had felt, how much of himself had been missing. It hadn't been a physical sensation, no pain or discomfort, but he had felt incomplete.

Now everything was slotting back into place.

Claire, who had walked up to him, smiled at him. Her expression was warm.

"Welcome home, Owen. I think you were missed."

"I think I missed this, too," he answered honestly, laughing softly.

Her smile grew even warmer. "Then the question as to how you are might be superfluous. But still: how are you, Owen?"

"Good. It was bad, but my parents and I talked a lot and it's okay. I'll miss her."

She hugged him. "Loss is always hard for all of us."

He hugged her back.

"If you need to talk to someone, let me know. You know you can always come to me. And you have friends."

Owen nodded with a small smile. "I know."

"I think you have somewhere important to be, alpha," Claire said. "To be really, completely home."

"Yeah. I do. Anything happen while I was gone? Anything important?"

"Nothing that can't wait. Go do your stuff, Grady. Call me when you're ready."

He gave her a wide, thankful smile.

x XX JW XX x

They were already there when Owen arrived at his home.

Calling.

Loud barks that related pleasure, happiness, welcome.

The bond was overflowing with emotions, wide open.

And then they were there, their bodies pressing against him, whining and purring. Charlie, Delta and Echo.

"I missed you, too."

Blue stood to the side, watching them with calm tolerance, but when she came closer, the other three let off, giving their alpha and his beta the room they needed.

She stepped closer, elegant and powerful, and then she pushed her head against his chest, a deep, rumbling escaping her chest.

_Alpha._

Owen wrapped his arms around her head and buried his face against the scaly skin.

"Damn, I missed you all," he whispered.

_As did we._

And it was suddenly like he had never left. The feeling of family and welcoming warmth, the powerful presence of them all with him. The island was his home, they were his home.

Blue lifted her head and rested her chin on his shoulder, allowing Owen to wrap his arms around her neck.

_You grief. Still._

"Humans grief longer. Loss is acutely felt."

_We'll help._

Owen smiled. "Yeah. You always do. You already do."

She stepped back, giving him room. Owen looked into those cold eyes that were incredibly warm when he met the reptilian gaze.

_Alpha. _

"My beta," he acknowledged.

She turned her head and looked at the shed where his bike was. Then she tilted her head a little.

Owen chuckled. "Yeah."

Run. With the pack. Get his head free.

And reunite.

x XX JW XX x

He lay on the ground, soaking up the sun, feeling the light breeze on his skin. Blue rumbled with amusement at his total relaxation, the way Owen just seemed to just fall into the bond.

"I missed this," he sighed.

Blue had settled down comfortably beside him, still watching the pack, who was napping not far away, all three curled together like they had when they had been just babies. She turned her eyes away from them and gazed at the supine man.

_It was necessary._

Blue understood the difference between pack and family. She had been in his head too often not to. She had a very good grasp on Owen's human family, on what 'parents' or even 'grandparents' meant. She had a direct line into his head and prolonged exposure had helped.

"Yes, it was."

She lowered her head and gently bumped her nose against his temple. Owen reached up and rested his hand between her nostrils.

_You're back now._

And everything was good.

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Owen had never been granted access to the depths of the Hammond Labs complex. It hadn't been in his job description to know all about what had gone into the DNA of the species they were displaying outside.

After the i-rex it was his job. Masrani had made sure that as the Chief Behavioral Analyst and alpha raptor, Owen had the right to full disclosure.

Claire had made sure he was given a much deeper look into the workings of the Labs.

After the first few hours reading files, Owen could have lived without it. Well, no, not really, but he felt sick and tired of theoretical scientists playing god on the computer, thinking reality worked out as smoothly as computer models.

It never did.

Evolution and Mother Nature were a bitch.

"Tristegatops?" he read out loud and shook his head. "Jesus!"

And that was a really harmless idea, in his opinion. A triceratops-stegosaurus hybrid was less likely to eat her keeper alive than the i-rex.

Anything was a lot less harmless than the i-rex.

Speaking of which, Henry Wu had had some very insane ideas about what else they could do in that regard.

One of the first files Owen had pulled had been the velociraptors. He had read for hours, shaking with anger at some of the notes, and in the end he had had to step outside to get some fresh air.

Blue was a very prominent presence in his mind all the time, reading with him. She understood mostly through him, directly linked to her alpha, and Owen hadn't tried to shield the connection. She had been intrigued, amused, sometimes confused, and once even startled.

Now, hearing about her own kind, she was borderline angry. She understood control and programming, sending raptors out to kill on command. Not for food. Not to defend from an attack. Just… for sport.

Like the i-rex had done.

"That will never happen on my watch!" Owen promised.

Because Wu and Keller had specified that a preternatural would be preferred as a controlling mechanism. An alpha who guided the raptors and told them to strike.

No, Owen decided. Never. Ever.

x XX JW XX x

"Weaponizing the raptors?" Owen exploded when he met Claire that afternoon. "Are you crazy?!"

She met his fury with calm, hands clasped in front of her. Her white clothes were like an armor and she stood with her shoulders squared, back ramrod straight. Like a solider.

It was the quiet strength she had shown when they had faced the monstrous hybrid, when they had rescued her nephews, and Owen drew a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

"I was never privy to all of Henry's ideas," Claire said, voice even. "He only ran things by me that were presentable for the public. I knew he was working on other things, but so were many. I was responsible for the park and nothing else. Had I known, I would have shut down that idea immediately."

"And Masrani?"

She studied him silently, then, "I'll ask. Simon's company isn't into weapons manufacturing."

Owen scowled. "As far as you know. These files… I want them under lock and key. Not on a server accessible from the outside. Who knows who already read those ideas and has drawn up blueprints!"

She nodded. "I will talk to Simon."

Owen shook his head. "I'll do it. He gave me this position and he told me I answer to him. So he gets to deal with me."

Her smile was almost teasing. "You boys have fun."

He grinned, showing teeth without humor. "Oh, I will."

x XX JW XX x

It wasn't the last outrageous project Owen discovered. He was sick after reading some of them.

He nearly deleted others right on the spot.

His talk with Masrani lasted two hours and the CEO told him he would reschedule some meetings to come to Isla Nublar personally.

To talk.

tbc...


	18. Chapter 18

Claire found him at the t-rex kingdom, on the viewing platform, watching the trees below. The rex was nowhere to be seen.

She sat down next to him and held out a pint of Ben&amp;Jerry's to him. New York Super Fudge Chunk.

"Amanda says hello."

Amanda Deniz being the manager of Jurassic World's Ben&amp;Jerry's.

Owen lifted a corner of his mouth into a half-smile as he took it. Claire withdrew two spoons from her pocket, offering one to him.

"How bad?" she asked.

Owen opened the ice cream. It was already soft enough to easily dig the spoon into the chocolaty goodness.

"Bad enough that I might not share."

She chuckled. "That only makes it worse."

He held out the tub to Claire, who nodded her thanks, before he took his own spoon-full.

"Talk?" she offered.

Owen licked at the spoon, looking thoughtful, then he finally turned to her.

"Masrani says he didn't know. He and Wu talked about the possibility of cross-breeding, of genetic engineering that went beyond making a better dinosaur, but he had no intention to weaponize any of the species he had. I know they were looking into controlling the animals through preternaturally talented keepers. Especially the raptors. Wu and Keller wanted to work on their aggression, that a human could work with them without getting attacked."

"Like you."

Owen shrugged. "They underestimated my abilities. And the intelligence of the new breed of raptors they had created."

"What about the data you found?"

"Locked away. Destroyed. As far as I can tell anyway. Who knows where everything is stored? I'm not a lie-detector, Claire. I know animals better than people, but I want to believe."

Claire scooped up more ice cream. "I'll keep a very close eye on the Labs. I promise you, Owen, nothing like this will ever happen again."

He nodded. "Somehow I think they were just a step away from crossing species in their breeding experiments."

Claire looked sick and she didn't really ask for more information. "Masrani is planning a relaunch of everything, clearing the slate. That means the Labs, too." She licked the spoon clean. "I promise, Owen."

"I believe you." He held out the ice cream container.

She smiled and helped empty it.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

They met again two days later, both in much better moods.

"No ice cream?" Owen asked with a fine smile.

"We can always go for it later," Claire responded.

"I'm game. So, what can I do for you?"

"I want to bring back the pteranodons and dimorphodons." Claire stood inside the empty aviary. "It's a sad place to be, don't you think?"

Owen nodded. It was. Like a tomb without the bodies it covered.

"The gallimimus herd should also be brought back to full size," Claire added.

"You plan to create new batches of eggs again?" Owen asked.

"Yes."

"How many?"

"Just enough. Simon wants to reopen the park soon and we will need new dinosaurs."

"Regular dinosaurs?"

She smiled. "Yes, just regular dinosaurs. No more hybrids."

"Sounds good."

Claire walked along the visitor path that had been maintained impeccably, even though there had been no more visitors. Owen joined her as they headed out the aviary.

"We could add to the pack, too," she broke the silence when they were outside again.

He stopped. "More raptors?"

"Not on display. That's one decision that will stand and is a ground rule. What is your decision is whether or not you want to expand your pack. You're the alpha."

He pushed his hands into his pockets. "I am, but to add to the pack might be stretching my abilities."

Claire raised her eyebrows. "I highly doubt that. You have a very strong and loyal beta. Blue would be an asset."

"Maybe, but maybe it would be taking too many risks."

"It's up to you. The Labs would give you the eggs you wanted."

He shook his head. "Not just yet. But thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

Her smile was warm and friendly. "Let's get back to the office. I think we need to talk about the new population numbers. And there's also the small matter of our impending audit."

"We're getting an auditor?"

Claire nodded, typing at her tablet. "A normal process when it comes to reopening a business that has been shut down. Especially in our case."

"So… best behavior?" Owen asked with a smirk.

She smiled slightly. "I expect nothing less than perfection."

"Of course."

"I've called a team meeting. We have a week until he arrives. Every part of the park will be audited. I know we have worked long and hard at getting past the catastrophic events. I won't let a faulty kitchen drawer break our backs."

They were walking back to the shuttle that had brought them to the aviary.

"Where do you want us?"

"Where you always are, Owen."

"Behind bars?"

She scowled a little. "The raptors aren't part of the public area, the Jurassic World. They are part of the island and the whole park, though. Someone will be by to audit you, too."

He pushed his hands into the pockets of his pants. "And if I fail?"

"Why would you?" she asked lightly as she joined him, tablet still in hand. "Owen, this is nothing but a risk assessment concerning public safety. Do what you always do: impress them."

He chuckled. "I scare and frighten people. I confuse them. I make them uncomfortable. Impressing is really very low on that list of what I do to people."

"Don't let them get eaten. That's all I'm asking."

"I can do that."

x XX JW XX x

The team meeting was short and to the point. Everyone was given a clear idea what was expected of them and what to expect from the auditor and his team.

Everyone was ready.

Jurassic World was ready.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Darren Matthews had audited a lot of theme parks in his thirty-year career. He had seen and heard it all, he had watched men and women handle dangerous animals – big cats, sharks, snakes, poisonous creatures great and small, birds of prey and more - and he had been to Jurassic World a few times already; as a visitor.

He had been fascinated by the theme park, by the set-up, by how professionally it was run. In the back of his mind he had evaluated the public area; it was something he couldn't switch off.

Now he had been officially sent here as an auditor and he took his job seriously.

He would look behind the scenes.

He would evaluate safety protocols, daily procedures, emergency response plans, and he and his team would look very closely and deeply at the changes that had been made to the park after the attack.

Matthews had made it his personal project to evaluate the man in charge of a pack of velociraptors. Owen Grady.

Former Military Working Dog handler. Bachelor's degree in animal science and biology, as well as a certification as a health technician. A list of classes he had successfully taken, like animal obedience and animal psychology.

On paper the man looked like the perfect trainer.

Matthews had read everything there was to read about the man, about his military career and his work at Jurassic World and the park as such. He had requested everything on the raptor pack, on the ongoing experiment whether or not a human being could train such lethal creatures.

Matthews had experience in these matters.

Though he had never met a raptor. They weren't on display in the park and footage of the ones observed on Isla Sorna was not the real thing.

In the past few days Matthews had been to the t-rex paddock and the baryonyx enclosure. He had watched them from afar and he had quizzed their caretakers about safety protocols. He had also been to the lagoon to talk to the mosasaurus trainer. He had seen the animals and he had seen them work with the humans who were entrusted with their care.

His team was running security checks on every lock, on every alarm system, on whatever kept everyone in here safe. The monorail was closely inspected. The fences were tested and retested.

Masrani Global had reassured them that everything had been checked, re-checked, upgraded and updated. InGen had taken a bad hit and they had lost a lot of troopers, but those now in charge of keeping everyone safe had been trained and outfitted with the latest technology.

Everything looked good so far.

On the surface.

Matthews would now look beyond Jurassic World, into the restricted area, and he would talk to the man in charge.

Owen Grady. Jurassic World's Chief Raptor Behavioral Analyst.

Matthews had thought he knew what to expect, but from the moment he stepped out of his car he realized he had been wrong. Talking to all the other trainers hadn't prepared him for this.

He had never seen any of them get close and personal with their dinosaurs.

Touch them.

Pet them.

Turn their backs to them!

Sure, some of the herbivores were calm enough to allow touch, but never a carnivore. Never a predator.

And despite knowing Grady's file and what he was capable of, Matthews wouldn't have imagined this.

Grady was in the high security paddock in front of the stables when he arrived and the man was surrounded by four, fully grown velociraptors.

Six feet of lethal force, backed up by knife-like talons and insanely sharp teeth.

One stood just behind Grady, sharp eyes on Matthews as the man walked slowly closer. The other three were not far behind, their heads turned toward him as well.

One was wearing a harness.

They were a fearsome sight. And larger than he would have thought, easily towering over their keeper. Each movement showed coiled strength and deadly elegance, and the moment he was close enough, he found himself transfixed by their eyes.

It was… eerie.

It was actually terrifying.

Something basic and primal, something that was close to becoming a gibbering wreck, clamored inside him to get the hell out of here. He hadn't felt like this even in the presence of the t-rex, and she had been a lot bigger. One bite from her and he would have been half the man he was right now. The velociraptors were smaller, much smaller, but those eyes studied him with so much more intelligence and knowing.

None of them wore a muzzle.

"Mr. Grady?" Matthews asked, keeping his voice even, trying to suppress a shiver as the apparent lead raptor kept watching him like he was a very interesting specimen.

Grady studied him, eyes sharp and intense, almost like the raptor at his side. He was only dressed in a light blue Henley, black jeans and sturdy boots. No body armor. No weapon aside from a knife in a sheath.

"Darren Matthews, I take it. You're early," he finally said.

One of his specialties when it came to his audits. The parks he visited were usually very well prepared, but he wanted to see individuals outside that. How they worked when they didn't expect him.

Grady came over to the fence, completely disregarding the raptors. His movements were calm, his whole presence rather powerful.

He wasn't trying to impress or to appear menacing to the visiting auditor. It was completely natural, a man who knew who he was, where he stood, what he was doing.

The raptor that had been closest to Grady was following him like a lethal shadows, movements lithe and silent in one. Grady didn't even look at it; her.

"Well, since you're already here, welcome to the raptor enclosure. Give me a moment to finish. The girls are on survey duty today."

Matthews frowned. "Survey duty?"

The raptor had stopped right behind the trainer, eyeing him, sizing him up. Like she was trying to make up her mind about him.

The auditor wasn't sure he wanted to know what her conclusion was.

Grady held up a hand. "Fifteen minutes, then you can ask me whatever you want." He turned and walked past the raptor behind him like he had known she was right there.

Matthews watched with fascination and curls of fear as he went back to the harnessed raptor, checked the leather straps, then attached two small cameras. He fished his cell phone from his back pocket and typed something into the small device, then nodded.

"Done. On to number two. That means you, Echo."

He grabbed another harness off the ground and whistled, gesturing sharply, and another raptor trotted forward, looking almost eager.

Grady quickly and efficiently got the harness on the second raptor. She stood completely still, watching him, rumbling softly now and then. It sounded almost like a purr at times. She moved her forelegs when it was required, shifting her weight when he pulled the main leather strap tight.

Matthews felt ill at ease the whole time, especially when he became aware of the raptor who had shadowed Grady still watching him closely.

Very closely.

Those eyes expressed too much intelligence for his liking. Her nostrils opened wide, taking in his scent, then she snorted almost disdainfully.

Grady straightened. "Okay, done." He gave Echo a little slap on the rump.

The man walked past the pack, touching them almost casually, stroking, petting, caressing their skin, and the beta, the one watching Matthews, nosed at the hand on her muzzle.

It was surreal. Absolutely surreal!

Those teeth… one bite and the hand was gone. One slash of those razor-like claws and his guts would pile on the sandy ground. No zoo keeper would walk into a tiger enclosure with the tigers present, pet them, turn his back to them.

"You're here to watch me go about my daily routines, right?"

Matthews nodded, pulling himself together. "That is correct."

"Good. You can either do that from the porch with the camera feed and wait for me to get back, or you can come along."

"Come along where?"

The man smiled brightly. "Like I said, you're early. And you know it. Today the pack is scheduled for a survey run, which means I'm leading them to the restricted area, then let them do their thing. I would have been back for you with time to spare, but since you interrupted the daily routine, you have to make up your mind."

Grady was already heading for a shed where Matthews saw two motorbikes and an ATV.

"As you know, routine prevents accidents and mistakes. My job is to handle this pack and they expect to do their job right now. You up for a little hands-on auditing?"

_Bastard!_ Matthews thought.

"You want me to get on that?" He pointed at the ATV. "And ride out into the jungle with them?" He nodded at the pack.

Owen's expression was almost bland. "You were early."

He gritted his teeth. Yes, he was early and for the first time it was biting him in the butt.

"Don't worry, Mr. Matthews. The girls are perfectly well-behaved. They know their job. They're not going to take a bite out of you. They already had breakfast." Grady raised his eyebrows and gestured at the ATV. "Your choice?"

Never let it be said that he would back down from a challenge. It had been his choice and he would stand by it.

x XX JW XX x

It was extremely disturbing that the raptors lined up like docile sheep dogs to get muzzled and then trotted out of the paddock, milling around and waiting for their pack leader.

Matthews got onto the ATV behind Grady and swallowed a little when they drove off, the raptors left and right. Grady whistled sharply and the beta shot past him, the other three trailing after her.

"Where are they going?" Matthews yelled over the noise of the ATV.

"They know where we're going and they need to stretch their legs. We'll meet them at the starting point of the survey."

They knew?! shot through the auditor's head. How?! Because of the connection to the preternatural?

x XX JW XX x

They were right there, waiting patiently.

Matthews stood next to the ATV as if it would give him a sense of security, watching Grady take off the muzzles. He sent them off in two pairs, whistles and hand-signs all Matthews could see or hear.

Silence descended around them and Matthews felt himself breathe a little easier.

"Well, Mr. Matthews," Grady said, draping the muzzles over the ATV's seat. "We got some time to kill. I believe you have questions?"

Oh, he had. A million of them.

tbc...


	19. Chapter 19

Matthews returned to the hotel after dark, feeling shaken and a little bit in awe. He was covered in dirt from the ATV ride, felt filthy to the bone, and he was still trembling.

A lot.

It had been amazing. It had left him speechless.

Scratch that: he was stunned.

Claire Dearing was in the lobby as he walked in, a tablet filled with notes, his head spinning with what he had seen.

"Good evening, Mr. Matthews." She gave him a professional smile. "I was ready to send out the troops."

"No need for that, Ms. Dearing."

"I can see that. You were auditing the raptor enclosure?"

He smiled slightly. "In a way. Mr. Grady informed me that being early entitled me to accompanying him to his survey – or to wait for their return."

"So you accompanied him," the park manager stated, eyes crinkling a little with amusement.

"I did. You have an amazing talent there, Ms. Dearing."

She nodded. "I know."

"Mr. Masrani told me in advance that Mr. Grady is the accepted pack leader, but I couldn't believe it."

"You can now."

It wasn't even a question.

"Yes. It's… difficult to… understand. I've seen all kinds of people work with all kinds of animals, but never this… relaxed."

She gestured toward the bar. "Can I invite you for a drink?"

He looked down at his dusty clothes and Claire chuckled. "Don't worry. There is no dress code."

Matthews found he really needed a drink. He would go back to Grady tomorrow and he had a feeling that he hadn't seen everything the man was capable of. He still had to check the enclosure, the stables, the security of the fences.

Seeing that the pack had followed their alpha like well-trained sheep dogs, not breaking off once to investigate something or other, he knew he wouldn't find anything amiss. Grady was in full control. He led them with hand gestures and whistles, but there was more and that was clear to see.

Owen Grady wasn't just talented, he was preternaturally talented. Masrani Global had a file on him and as the auditor, Darren Matthews had read it. The man had connected a pack of raptors to himself. Matthews knew enough about preternaturals to realize what that could mean.

"Crazy son of a bitch," he murmured into his beer.

Claire smiled. "I know."

And strong. The kind of control he had over the pack was eerie and it showed how well-developed his abilities were.

"Did you know about what he has done?"

"Masrani Global knew about his ability, but no one expected him to be that talented. I doubt he knew what he could do until the moment he connected to Blue."

Matthews emptied his drink and accepted a refill. He really needed this. He had another visit at Grady's place pending.

"You said you trust him," he stated.

"I do," Claire told him without hesitation.

"To be in control of the pack at all times?"

"You tell me, Mr. Matthews. You've seen him work. You've seen the pack. Owen is their alpha. They listen to him."

And he wasn't in the theme park area. Still, something had happened to the whole park, had killed employees and visitors, and he was an auditor. He had to see all the facts and give his own employers an evaluation.

So Matthews just nodded. "I think I'll call it a night. I'll see you tomorrow, Ms. Dearing." He took the still almost full glass with him as he left the bar.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

"You scared our auditor."

Owen snorted and hung up his gear, then walked over to the porch. "Cold drink?"

Claire accepted the can of lemonade with a nod. It was late in the afternoon, the sun no longer high in the sky, but it was warm.

"He came by this morning again?" she asked.

"Yeah, to check on the rest of the enclosure, to run security checks, to test my locks and keys. He had a list of questions that had my head spin."

"Like muzzles and electronic collars?"

Owen scowled. "Don't you even start. Matthews knows my file and he knows about my abilities. He saw me work yesterday."

"Seeing is believing. And sometimes seeing doesn't really convince you either, Owen."

He played with the can, feeling Blue's presence increase a little. She was in her pen, dozing, fed and satisfied. They hadn't gone for a hunt today, just demolished their already dead meal from the meat kitchens. She had found the auditor interesting, mainly because he had tried not to be scared but had so readily been spooked by the pack. He had smelled like prey the whole time, unlike, for example, Claire, who had turned from possible prey to neutral to possible ally to the alpha.

"So, what's his verdict on the pack?"

"Mr. Matthews wasn't here for you. He was here for the whole park. Mainly the theme world. You are a small part of it, Owen, and I doubt he would find anything wrong with your place, the enclosure or the way you handle the pack. This is way, way, way behind the scenes and simply a research station on paper."

Owen emptied his can and dumped it into the bin next to the porch where recyclables were collected.

"Well, fingers crossed."

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

The team of auditors went about every nail and screw, every lock and key, every peanut stand and chicken wing. They looked into everything, down to the hotel complex and the holiday adventures they offered. The monorail and gondola rides had been gone over with a fine tooth comb, just like every dinosaur paddock, enclosure or viewing platform.

There were one hundred and fifty safety protocols to check. It took time.

Laurel and Josh were complaining about intrusive questions into their daily routines, about bothering their t-rex, about being followed every step of the way.

Nancy muttered a 'hear hear' and held out a bag of chocolate macadamia cookies.

"They're asking where we keep the sharks for the mosa," she sighed. "If they're in a separate tank or if we get them from a supplier. Geez, it's all in the papers they have! And they check where we dispose of what's left. Not that there's a lot. They even went down to the lagoon's locks to see how secure they are. As if she would try to wriggle through those pipes!"

Reggie snorted. "Try explaining to them that yes, an apatosaurus can step on you easily, can play soccer with the gyrospheres, but there hasn't been an incident ever in ten years! I think one of them drove the spheres around for hours. Having fun, I'd bet."

"It's their job, guys," Owen said as he joined them at their regular table at Margaritaville.

Soon they would have to give that up for the tourists again. If the audit went as planned, Jurassic World was on the right course for a reopening.

"We know," Laurel told him and took another cookie. "They simply handle this like everything was our fault."

"And they don't even know what really happened," Reggie agreed, sipping at his Mesozoic Margarita.

"Of course they don't. You think we'd be allowed to open again for the public if they did?" Owen wanted to know, shrugging. "Masrani swept it under a rug and we play along to keep it there."

"How was you play-date with the man in charge?" Nancy wanted to know, grinning.

Another shrug. "Took him out for the survey ride."

They all gave him wide-eyed looks and Josh chuckled. "Man has balls."

"Wasn't really his choice. He came hours too early, probably to surprise me. I was already done with getting the cameras on the girls, so he had to make a choice."

"Stay or come along," Laurel nodded. "And he went along?"

"Yep." Owen grinned. "He came back today for the building checks."

"How did the girls behave?"

"Perfect ladies all the way through."

Nancy raised her bottle. "Of course they were. With an alpha like you. Manners is everything in these times and they wouldn't let you down, right?"

Owen snorted. "You've got no idea what their opinion on this audit was."

"Thank god they can't talk then."

x XX JW XX x

Owen went on a brief patrol of the Main Street later on, dropping by the shops and nodding at everyone. On a whim he took a walk through the underwater observatory that allowed visitors to get close to the mosasaurus in a different way. Just glass between them and the gigantic creature.

Owen wasn't surprised to see her hovering in front of it.

She was a beauty.

In the back of his mind he felt her shadowy presence, at the fringe of the pack bond, just like the rex and so many others. Present, but never really there. She was an individual, easily distinguished from the anonymous mass of the pack and herd animals. Like the t-rex she had edges and spikes to her presence, but there was no connection he could feel.

But he was aware of her.

Owen had felt it more and more, especially after returning from his grandmother's burial, that sensation of home and completion when he was here, of all the dinosaurs around him, with him in the middle.

He wasn't ready to explore it yet, but it was something that needed monitoring.

There was no one else to ask. He was on his own, though not unique. None of the other talented could help him since they were complete novices, too, just now learning how to approach their charges.

Looking at the mosa, Owen let part of himself drift toward her indistinct presence. She was curious, felt him, but she didn't know what to do with an alpha since that wasn't in her nature. She had no idea what to do with his energy, with his strength, but the curiosity was unbroken.

The mosa let herself sink closer to the lagoon floor, still looking at him, then her nose touched the glass.

Owen smiled a little.

"Curious, hm? No idea what else to do."

She was a predator and as such she didn't flee from him. Not her nature.

"Well, nice meeting you."

The mosa tilted her a head a little, then, as if she had understood his good-bye, she swam away. Calm, assured of her position, her territory. Owen grinned and continued his own patrol.

On dry land.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

"An auditor, hm?" Alan sounded almost amused. "How much did you scare the poor guy?"

"No more than I did you, apparently."

It got Owen a chuckle, the blue eyes crinkling with clear amusement.

"You scared the hell out of me, kid. Still do. Probably more than him, because I know what they are capable of and have seen it up close and personal. I take it he left with all limbs intact?"

"Perfect ladies."

"I keep hearing that the theme park will reopen. Looks like you're on the best way."

He shrugged. "It does. Everything's running, the attractions are like new, all the damage has been repaired."

"And still no one knows what really happened," Alan commented. "Not even your auditor."

"You know what would happen if this really went public."

It was an old discussion that Alan would never tire of having, but he also knew today wasn't the day.

"How are you doing, Owen?" he wanted to know.

They had already talked about his grandma's death, about being off the island and without the pack, about the pack without their alpha. Alan had been surprised how well they had functioned and how they had accepted his return.

"I'm not a raptor, Alan. They know I'm human and in my absence, Blue is the leader."

"And she relinquishes the position back to you. Not normal."

"When was anything I've done so far normal?"

"Too true."

Today Owen told him about his sense of the mosa, of the rex, of the others. That strange feeling in the back of his mind.

Alan looked thoughtful. "You think you're expanding your abilities?"

"Why would I? The pack bond is what I need. The others aren't the same, even if some of them live in packs or herds. I'm not even working with them."

"Tell that to your brain."

He chuckled.

They chatted some more, then Owen signed off.

x XX JW XX x

Matthews and his team departed three days later. Claire called for a last meeting, to talk about the audit as such and the game plan ahead. Owen was part of it, just like every department head and security chief.

Matthews shook his hand after they were done. "You do an exceptional job, Mr. Grady. Not sure we really have an audit form for that."

"Forms are highly overrated."

He smirked. "Probably. In your case. I wish you all the best."

x XX JW XX x

The pack understood that the visitor had been important, but even through Owen's connection to them an auditor wasn't easily explained. They had been very much aware that it had been very important for them, for their safety, that it had been about their territory; and about their alpha.

They had behaved.

Just like Owen had said. Perfect ladies.

Blue hummed in pleasure as he scrubbed over her back, cleaning off dirt and old scales. She didn't shed skin like a snake, but it itched nevertheless.

"Okay, done," he declared and stepped back. "Looking savvy."

Blue shook herself and gave a little snort.

The others had already been through the peeling treatment, dozing in the sun, completely at ease. Blue stayed with her alpha, watching him pack up his things.

_Will we be save?_

"You will."

_You?_

He smiled and rubbed his palm over her cheek as she stepped closer. "All of us. This was routine. You did very well."

Blue rumbled softly and nosed briefly against his neck, then stepped back.

"Go to your pack. Get some rest."

He had planned a longer trip into the restricted area, starting at nightfall, to train their night hunting, their coordination after the sun was down and only little light fell through the canopy of leaves, mainly from the moon and the stars. Owen would be transporting more equipment and food and water for himself. Echo would help him with that since he had added saddle bags to a harness and she would carry some weight. She was already looking forward to it.

"See you later, girls," he called and left the enclosure.

Their calls echoed in his mind.

tbc...


	20. Chapter 20

Owen had informed Claire about his planned trip and she had asked only one thing of him: take a cell phone and enough batteries with him. She trusted him not to get eaten, but accidents happened in other ways. Owen had yet to find a wild dinosaur in the restricted area and he doubted there were any larger ones. If at all, maybe compsognathi had made it there, but the pack hadn't run into anything other than birds and mammals or the occasional lizard.

It was one of his goals, though: go deep into the restricted area and map the species living there. Since Owen had been handed over responsibility for the former Jurassic Park area, he wanted to know. The pack was excited to scare up whatever was running round, especially tracking down their own kind.

Echo was carrying the tent equipment, which had her preen and bark at her pack how proud she was. It was clear over the pack bond, too.

Blue regarded her with a kind of amused tolerance, while Charlie and Delta wanted to sniff and tug at the saddle bags.

Owen whistled and they looked at him, almost chastised, but Charlie was too curious for her own good.

"Charlie!" he called and made a gesture for 'stop'. "Cut it out!"

She rumbled. Echo snapped at her, defending her precious cargo.

"Geez, girls," Owen muttered and shooed Charlie away from the saddle bags so he could add the last items he might need. "I feel like this is prom night and one of you is wearing the dress the other wanted."

While Blue didn't laugh, she was close to it. The raptor kind of laugh anyway. She bodily pushed Charlie away, reminding her with a bark of her place, and the other raptor trotted off, clearly miffed.

When he was done, Owen sent Echo off to wait near the gates. "Charlie," he called and gestured at her to come to him.

She did, head lowered a little, sniffing at his outstretched hand. She was still clearly displeased that she hadn't been chosen as the transporter.

"You and Delta are my scouts," he told her, projecting the idea at her and she perked up. "You two will check out the trail. That's why I want you without gear."

She whuffled, head held high as the importance of her job was made clear.

"You two make sure that everything's safe," he added.

Charlie yipped.

Owen smiled and patted her jaw, then got his backpack and rifle from the porch. A week or so of roughing it sounded rather appealing right now. He hadn't had time on his own with the pack for a while. There had been too much else going on, but now things were quieting down – until the report of the auditor came in.

Whatever it said, things would get more intense one way or the other. To perfect what had been critiqued or to work toward the opening of the park.

Owen checked his backpack for all his backcountry gear. Everything was there. From drybags to knives and tools, to firestarters and a camping kitchen. Echo was carrying the heavier things and some of his clothes. Owen had stowed the rest in his backpack.

"Okay. Everything's there. Let's get going."

He didn't lock the door. The crime rate on Isla Nublar was non-existent. And everyone was too afraid to get eaten by a raptor to even think about taking anything of Owen's without asking.

"Ready?" he called.

A chorus of yips and barks answered him.

And finally they were off.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

It was peaceful out here, on the other side of the island. Silent, aside from the calls of the animals around him and the far off rumble of the waves against the rocky shores. The knee-high grass swayed gently in the breeze. It was a warm day and Owen had opted to enjoy it as long as it lasted.

They had made good headway into the depth of the restricted area. This part of the island wasn't just jungle and trees. There were long stretches of grassland like frozen waves in a sea that had been the former gallimimus enclosure before Jurassic World had been built on the other side.

Here and there Owen could find a few signs of the former park, but most had weathered and broken, reclaimed by the island. He wouldn't spend the night in one of the buildings, which were already beyond condemned.

The sun would set in an hour or two, so Owen had decided to make up camp. He had freed Echo of her saddle bags and sent the whole pack out into the grass while he erected his tent. It was quick and easy, and fifteen minutes later Owen enjoyed the calm, silent afternoon, the sun, the clean air, and the hum of the pack as they hunted.

Out in the grass a flock of birds that looked like wild chickens went up in the air, screeching in alarm. Owen saw a flash of raptor, felt Charlie's sharp instincts flare as she caught her prey, then everything quieted down again.

Owen saw a dark shadow move toward him through the grass, then a head popped up. It was Charlie, carrying her catch. She trotted over to Owen and let it drop in front of her alpha, cocking her head and chittering. Blood stained her teeth and chin. Blood was on the prey. It wasn't a wild chicken. It was reptilian and definitely not a dinosaur. It was also very, very dead.

Charlie whuffled, slightly disappointed when Owen made a 'negative' handsign, but it didn't stop her from swallowing her prey in two bites.

Owen smiled. "Good luck next time."

She darted off again, calling for the pack and getting an ululating cry from Delta.

Grady had the suspicion that his pack would probably bring him all kinds of caught prey to inspect. Blue, as always right next to him in his mind, projected amusement. She was inspecting their surroundings, scenting for other raptors, even though Owen knew there weren't any.

But they weren't just here for fun and games – hunting and fetching prey was nothing but a game to the pack. He wanted to be away from the immediate park, while still staying on the island since going to Isla Sorna wasn't an option. Owen needed to stretch his mind, so to speak, not just his legs. He needed to follow those weird sensations as of late, the increasing feeling that something was happening outside the pack bond.

The i-rex had been the first to intrude, had been a sharp, dangerous and unwanted presence. It had been the enemy.

The others weren't.

Owen was growing more perceptive and only the pack bond anchored him to his four girls. They kept him safe.

Owen studied the blade of grass he was twisting in his fingers.

He had to take control of this before it came back to bite him when he least expected it.

x XX JW XX x

On the second day of their camping trip Owen had chosen a path along the coast, heading toward the old ferry dock. He had checked in with Claire in the morning, just for a minute to tell her everything was going fine, then he had packed Echo's bags and his own.

By early afternoon they had reached their goal and he had freed Echo of her load, then let them go. The old ferry building was gone, torn down by wind and water. The concrete landing of the ferry was partially still there. The road leading to the old park entrance was overgrown and had nearly disappeared.

While mediation wasn't his strong point and he didn't see how it would help him with his pack, Owen had found that letting himself explore the bond was helpful. Not through meditation, just through calming his mind, letting himself go with the flow of the pack. He took his time to quiet his own thoughts, to look for the raptors, and he had started to seek them out more actively along the connection.

Not just Blue, who he knew instinctively and who was closest to him, but also his three other girls.

All of them were the pack. Four distinctive minds connected to his own, him in the center.

Sharp, guided by basic instincts to hunt and to protect the territory.

But also four minds that had evolved past the baser nature, who had learned in a way no other dinosaur ever had.

Connected to their alpha.

Learning from their alpha.

A human alpha who had taught them control.

They listened and they learned.

Owen let himself relax into their presence, never in any danger to be overwhelmed or overpowered. He felt them, their individual thoughts, their instincts guiding them as Charlie and Echo chased after deer while Delta was trying to unearth something from under a fallen tree.

They were deep within the restricted area, none of them wearing a camera, and they were having their fun time.

Blue was watching, standing on a small hill, keeping an eye on the pack. She was also watching for danger.

Delta finally got the fall tree overturned and something feathery and fast darted out from underneath with a shrill scream. Delta chased after it with an excited yip. She was in the mood to play, not to feed, so she would herd and chase it for a while.

Owen smiled to himself as he felt her excitement.

Blue's presence in his head grew, leaking into his conscious mind, but he didn't care. It was so normal now. He couldn't remember what it had been like before… Blue's mind was like a blanket.

They were all his safety and the reason why he wanted to try this.

So he looked outside the pack bond.

And then there were more. More minds, more presences, more… Owen could feel the t-rex. Despite her size her mental presence was smaller, though sharp like all predators. She was sated and dozing in the sun. He could feel her physical power, but compared to a velociraptor like Blue she was weaker.

And then there were the other predators like the baryonyxes and the metriacanthosaurs. Indistinctive but clearly hungry, because today was a fasting day, but not angry. They were used to it.

The herbivores were like a blurry mass. Anonymous. No distinction between them. Almost level in their presence, no spikes among them. If he concentrated, Owen thought he could make out a few denser spots, like a herd leader, but not as pronounced as his raptors.

Owen was breathless.

Stunned.

Almost paralyzed with the sheer mass he could see.

All of them.

What. The. Hell?!

All?!

The singular ones, yes. Ones without a pack or herd. Or the leaders, the powerful minds that led a herd.

But all? Every single one? Why?

Why and why now? And what…

Owen couldn't do more than just stare, like a hypnotized rabbit at the wall of dinosaur presences. They threatened to overpower him and for a second he seemed to float away from his own physical body. A deafening roar jolted him out of his semi-conscious state.

There was a sharp tug and he gasped, trying to move back.

It was almost impossible.

They seemed to suck him in and he felt like stuck in quicksand. They were everywhere and he was smack in the middle. The mass kept their distance, but wherever he turned, there was a dinosaur. Not intelligent like the raptors, but aware of the powerful alpha.

And then something moved between him and the other minds. Sharp, angry, slashing at the other ones, pushing Owen back toward the safety of his pack. It was like a surgical strike, cutting him out of the swamp of other minds, and he fell back.

Owen was suddenly surrounded by Charlie, Delta and Echo, all of them growling and snarling, upset over the intrusion. Blue was right next to him, her rumbles highly aggressive. He felt her touch like it was a physical sensation, covering him, like wings.

_Owen!_

He blinked and was suddenly back on the ferry dock, on his back, staring at the sky.

"Blue?" he managed.

She wasn't there, but she was coming. He could feel it. She was an almost oppressive force, shielding him from anything but the pack, and the others were still forming a defense around him. He was isolated, but not alone.

"What the hell?" he whispered hoarsely as he climbed to his feet.

_Owen! _

_Protect_! the pack called. _Protect the alpha! Protect, protect, protect!_

Blue was finally there, nearly bowling him over, and he automatically wrapped his arms around the strong neck. Blue held him in turn, her forearms around his waist, the sharp talons careful of his fragile human skin.

And then everyone else was there as well, chittering, barking, rumbling, pushing against him and demanding answers.

Owen leaned into the warmth, eyes sliding shut. He swallowed several times, breathing in gasps. Grady swayed, feeling like the ground beneath him was suddenly gone. Eyes snapped open and he held onto Blue as he nearly collapsed.

"Damnit!"

_What happened?_ she demanded furiously.

"I have no clue," he whispered.

Blue snarled angrily. Her grip tightened briefly.

"Ow, careful, Blue. Human. Fragile."

She rumbled, disagreeing with 'fragile' in general, though she was aware how easily she could slice through his skin. Her grip lessened. Delta pressed her nose against his back and Charlie and Echo watched the surrounding area for a physical attack. They were rumbling amongst themselves, moving nervously.

"No threat," Owen murmured, pushing it over the bond as well. "All in my head."

_Still a threat. To you. To us._

They had closed rank around him, ready to take out whatever threatened their connection.

The other animals in the park had intruded. Owen had opened himself up for every dinosaur mind on the island, even if that hadn't been the plan. It was nothing he had ever thought possible. He wasn't a telepath or an empath. His preternatural ability was something of a mixture of both, but it had only ever been directed at his pack.

Blue's possessiveness rose in strength. She bared her teeth, growling deeply, aggressively, and her talons flexed dangerously against his ribs again.

Owen took control of the pack bond, picking of the reins, though it was almost an immense effort. His mind felt fractured and he groaned softly when he was finally alone again, surrounded by the four velociraptors like his personal bodyguard, all four more calm.

Their alpha was safe and he had told them to stand down.

Blue cocked her head almost thoughtfully as her alpha stared at her. She snorted softly, then nuzzled his hair. She was still pressing against his body while the pack watched for physical danger. Owen was grateful for the support.

"What the fuck happened?" he finally whispered, voice hoarse.

_You're the alpha. You felt them, but you are our alpha_, Blue said. _They overwhelmed you. _

Delta whined, her thoughts whirling just like the rest of them. But she confirmed the words, as well as what everyone had felt.

_Your senses have opened, Owen_, Blue told him.

She stepped closer to him, body brushing against his. She turned her head and nosed at his shoulder.

_You are strong. We know it. They know, too._

Because he had gotten so much stronger in the past years, and especially after the i-rex had tried to take him out. He had trained his mind throughout the time with his pack and had learned. He was so much more powerful now.

Possessiveness swamped him and he held his ground by sheer will alone. The pack wasn't inclined to let anyone else have a part of their alpha. They saw the others, they accepted that their territory was shared by others of their kind, but Owen belonged only to them. They were on top of the food chain, even topping the t-rex.

"Really?" Owen chuckled.

Blue cocked her head, baring sharp teeth. _We are dominant. You are alpha. Apex. But ours. Not theirs._

He blinked.

Charlie, Delta and Echo nosed at him, whuffling, whining, rumbling.

He caressed the scaly skin, felt their warmth as they pushed closer, then Blue's bark had them give him more freedom. The connection was alive with emotions no other human would ever understand, let alone call warm or loving.

But they were.

Possessive, needy and warm. Their love for their alpha.

"I don't want them," he murmured. "I got you. All of you. I just need to train this. Keep them outside."

Blue rumbled her agreement and he smiled at her suspicious expression. She hated the very idea of their alpha approaching other packs or the herds that were nothing but prey to her. She didn't like the t-rex and the mosasaurus was an unknown to her.

"It's why we're here, right? To give this a shot. Because there's no distraction out here. So I'll have another go tomorrow."

Blue growled angrily.

"Together."

She snorted and shook herself. He was the alpha and he made the decisions, but she didn't have to fully agree with something she found was a threat.

Owen reached out and rubbed her strong jaw. "Together. With your protection."

_None of them belong here._

"But they are here. And I need to handle this."

She finally nodded and Owen wrapped an arm around her neck in a brief hug. He gently touched the attentive mind.

He could do this.

He was able to teach himself to shield against the others. All of them except the pack.

"We'll be okay. I promise."

x XX JW XX x

Day four was the thunder storm day. Owen sought shelter in an old underground bunker that had been used as a lab. There was no equipment left. The pipes held no water, the lock was broken.

But it was shelter.

Owen pitched his tent in a corner, leaving the flap open, and made himself comfortable as he listened to the howl of the wind and the beating of the rain against the metal roof.

Blue pushed the door open as darkness fell, wet and dripping water. She shook herself and Owen grimaced.

"Watch it," he grumbled.

She chuffed. Then she inspected the room he had chosen as shelter, sniffing at the walls, the corners, peeking into the next room that was completely dark. Owen had the light from his camping gear.

_Safe,_ she commented.

"Yeah. You guys doing okay?"

Of course they did. The weather was nothing to them and they enjoyed the rain on their skin. But they would stay with their alpha for the night, protect him, and Owen smiled a little when Blue settled down beside him after inspecting the room for a place to do so.

The others filed into the room not much later, curling up in strategic positions. Owen watched them with amusement. They took their guard duty seriously. Physically as well as mentally they were so close to him, they were his shield.

Blue rumbled softly and nuzzled his hair, then rested her head in his lap.

"Haven't you outgrown that phase?" he asked softly, caressing her brow.

She chuffed again.

Owen smiled. "Yeah."

tbc...


	21. Chapter 21

By mid-morning of the next day the rain had stopped, at least for a while. The ground was soft and muddy, and the air smelled fresh and clean. It would get more humid soon, but not too bad.

Owen quickly checked his gear, then loaded his bike before he gave Echo her saddle bags.

Then they were on their way again.

x XX JW XX x

By noon Owen decided to wait out the rain. He was wet, the rain water sluicing off his rain poncho in thick rivers. They had stopped at the old safari lodge, which was in a remarkably good shape. The ground was slick, the mud ankle deep, and Owen found shelter for his bike and himself.

The pack was still outside, the rain not bothering them. Owen felt their presence, relaxed and at ease, so he went about getting dry.

The lodge had seen better days, yes. It had been cleaned out, nothing remaining aside from the building itself, and the roof had caved in on the south side. Almost all windows had cracked or even broken.

Claws clicked on tiles and Owen looked over his shoulder to see Blue peering into the former kitchen he had just inspected. She snorted, not impressed.

And neither was Owen, but it was dry in here and the windows, while smeared, were unbroken.

"Rain should be over in a few hours. And I know you're looking forward to a night prowl."

Blue joined him, close enough to touch. Ever since the threat to the pack bond his beta had been this way. He rested a hand on her back, sending reassurance.

Her sense of threat had diminished only a little. She had no enemy and the pack had nothing to go against. At least physically. Like with the i-rex. The i-rex had been both, a danger to Owen, to the raptors, to the bond. They had fought it with teeth and claws, throwing themselves at a much more massive and powerful opponent.

Owen shivered a little as he thought of those moments of absolute terror as he witnessed the indominus throw Delta aside with a swipe of one foreleg, the claws so much more developed, the arms more human than animal front leg.

Blue rumbled and rubbed her nose against his shoulder, then nipped at his jacket. Owen chuckled and pushed her head away.

"Go mother-hen the others. I'll dry my clothes and we'll see about a night hunt later on."

She rumbled and gave him a faint body-check with one hip, then sauntered off.

"Cheeky," Owen commented and grinned at her own amusement.

x XX JW XX x

By sunrise the pack had exhausted themselves, pleasantly fed from their hunt, and Owen had counted a few stray compsognathus throughout the night. Two had lost their lives to Echo's hunting skills. She had snapped their necks and then looked at Owen, waiting for the alpha to decide whether he needed the prey or that Echo could eat it.

Owen had simply taken note of the species, then let Echo have her snacks.

The compies were the only dinosaurs he had seen so far and their population was rather small. Owen suspected inbreeding and falling prey to larger predators.

x XX JW XX x

He slept till noon and spent the rest of the day enjoying the better weather, letting the pack explore. Owen watched the indigenous birds, the small mammals, mostly monkeys, and the occasional lizard.

It was relaxing, one of those sunny days that weren't too hot. There were clouds in the sky, lazily moved by a gentle breeze, and the temperatures were warm enough to wear a t-shirt, but cool enough not to break out in a complete sweat within seconds.

Owen let his mind drift with the pack, watching them without really seeing the four velociraptors. He easily distinguished who was who and he smiled at Echo's playful exploration of old bones she had found, Charlie had followed her, excitedly yipping as she unearthed more of what had been one of the old park's animals. A few skeletons had remained from two decades ago.

Delta was watching curiously, then picked up a rib bone and chewed on it. Blue was sniffing at the skull and from what Owen could see, it had been a triceratops.

There was a lot more than he had at first seen. Like a bone yard. Owen knew that a lot of the animals had been killed after the first Jurassic Park fiasco. It looked like the carcasses had been piled in one place and left to rot.

A spike of pain from Charlie had Owen shift his attention and Blue raise her head because of it. Through her eyes he saw that Charlie was pawing at her jaw, snorting and rumbling. She rubbed her cheek against the boulders, then shook it. The pain was still there.

Delta was coming closer, curious, but the other raptor bit at her, growling.

"Damnit," Owen muttered as he pulled back, feeling a little light-headed. "Gotta work on that, too," he grumbled and gotto his feet.

He was on his bike and heading toward the pack five minutes later.

x XX JW XX x

Charlie had pulled away from the pack, whining, still trying to get something out of her mouth. Blue kept the other two lower-ranked raptors back, barking at Charlie, circling her.

Owen stopped the bike and moved slowly closer, eyes on Charlie. Echo and Delta tried to get closer and he raised a hand, a sharp whistle stopping them in their tracks.

"No," he said calmly. "Stay away."

They snorted and rumbled, claws flexing.

"Go," he said.

They growled, but moved back, eyes still on Charlie. Blue barked sharply and Charlie whined. Her jaw looked bloody from the scratching.

Owen knew he had to be extremely careful. Charlie was in pain and it was getting worse. Whatever she had bitten into, it had hurt her. From what he could see on the ground, she must have played with the old bones. Bones that old were usually brittle and the raptors had sharp, hard teeth and strong jaws. Owen didn't think it was a bone fragment, but whatever it was, it would be hell to get out of her jaw if it was still stuck.

"Charlie," he said calmly and she looked at him, nostrils blowing wide. She was breathing hard, torn between fight and flight. "Shhh," he murmured and held up his hands. "Eyes on me, girl. Let me see, okay?"

Owen walked slowly closer, each step measured, body tense. He was focused on Charlie, but still aware of the others.

"Charlie," he coaxed. "C'mere, girl."

She whined again, weight shifting, but she wasn't running away. Or attacking.

Owen was by now close enough that he could see the abrasions on her jaw quite clearly. Charlie's lips curled back from sharp teeth. Bloodied, sharp teeth.

"Damn," he whispered.

Whatever it was, it had cut her. Apparently inside the mouth. This was going to be more than tricky.

Owen reached out along the pack bond and Charlie whined, shaking her head, but she stayed put.

"Eyes on me," he murmured. "Just me. I'm here. Good girl."

He inched closer, right hand stretched out to reach for her jaw. He knew he was insane to do this. Blue, yes. She was his beta and their relationship was different from the rest of the pack. Charlie was in pain and that was highly dangerous. At home he would have tried to get her into the cattle stand, fixate her, but they were in the middle of nowhere.

And he had an injured raptor.

Blue's presence rose, strong and firm in his mind, and she was watching the lower ranked Charlie closely. Her eyes narrowed as Owen was now too close to the raptor to safely jump back should she try and bite him.

Then again, for a human there was no safe distance. They were so much faster than Owen could ever be.

"Shhhh," he hummed. "Good girl. Open up. Just open."

They had trained this. All he had to do was focus his mind, be the alpha, get Charlie to follow what she had done before.

With a low whine she cracked her jaws open.

Blood trickled over her lower lip.

Owen steeled himself and touched her lower jaw, his mind by now firmly locked with hers. He knew his energy was important, that showing weakness would get him hurt or killed so very easily. So he was his calm and assertive self.

No doubt. Control. Just control.

"Wider," he told her, voice low. "That's good. Good girl."

Something was stuck in her gums. The size of a pen, lodged in the fleshy part, though he couldn't say how deeply.

"Fuck," Owen groaned. "This… is not good."

Charlie twitched, breathing hard, and he knew he had to be quick. This would be painful.

"Girl, you're gonna be very unhappy with me, but this has to come out."

Another snort.

Owen steeled himself. "Jaw open. I'll be really quick."

Fingers crossed, he thought. He had no idea how deep that thing was embedded.

Looking into the narrowed eyes, feeling Charlie's animal instincts flare, he held her through the bond. He was the alpha. Charlie acknowledged it out of instinct, too. She had been born into the pack, had only ever known him as her pack alpha, and she would defer to Owen.

But the pain would be bad.

"Here goes."

He was quick about it, but as he had known before, no human could be faster than a raptor. He was the alpha, but the pain overrode trained responses and instinctual behavior.

Owen felt a hard blow against his ribs, then he was on the ground, more pain radiating from his right hand, and the furious screams and barks around him rose in volume. They echoed in his head, coming through the bond, mixed with pain and relief.

He felt the presence of the pack in the back of his mind strengthen, like a rubber band stretching to its limit and about to snap. It was pulling at him, trying to get loose.

Charlie snapping at the other three, defensive, jaw hurting.

Echo, circling her, hissing, because Charlie had attacked the alpha.

Delta, rumbling, head low, claws flexing, sizing up the bleeding pack mate.

And Blue, barking angrily at them, keeping them in line.

"Stop it!" he yelled, pushing the order along the connection.

He felt the intent to strike, to lash out. He knew if he stepped back and let it happen, it would.

It was hard.

And it was wearing on him.

There was a moment of confusion, then just whines and chuffs, a few rumbles and growls.

Confusion and pain. Then just confusion and discomfort. Finally, just… all of them, a background noise with one clear presence that was Blue.

Who stood next to him, sharp sickle claws gouging the earth. Owen blinked and sat up slowly. Blue looked down at him, scenting him, then growled as Echo dared to come closer. He could see Charlie a few feet away, blood on her chin, but she was no longer radiating so much pain. Just discomfort.

"This reminds me too much of before," Owen muttered as he stumbled to his feet.

His ribs ached and there was blood on his right hand. He still had all fingers, which was a plus, and the blood came from two shallow cuts. Pushing carefully against his ribs he didn't think they were broken.

On the ground lay the perpetrator.

A metal wire the size and thickness of a pencil.

Owen stumbled a little as he picked it up and was kept from losing his balance by a solid, warm body next to him. Blue rumbled, the fingers of one foreleg curling around his arm.

_Hurt._

"Bruised. Battered. I'm fine."

There were a lot of bruises.

He would be black and blue by the next morning, but right now the adrenaline let him feel only light twinges. Even the injuries that had bled were barely a bother.

_You bleed, alpha. She bit you._

"Got my first aid kit. I'm fine, Blue."

She sniffed the air, still not happy. His beta turned her head, her nose touching Owen's shoulder.

"I'm fine," he repeated.

He didn't push the head away, actually felt a warm moment of reassurance, then he stepped back with a caress of the muscular neck.

Charlie stood to the side, tail moving jerkily as she tried to make up her mind what to do. Owen met her eyes.

"You did nothing wrong, Charlie. It had to come out."

She whined a little, stepping slowly closer. Blue watched her through narrowed eyes, ready to intervene. Owen extricated his hand from her light grip, stroking over one flank again, and put his left palm on Charlie's nose.

It was a brief contact, like an absolution, then she stepped back again.

All was good.

Owen walked back to the bike and got out the first aid kit, cleaning the blood from his right hand and liberally dousing the two cuts in antiseptic.

It stung abominably.

"Not too bad," he decided and wrapped the wounds under the watchful eyes of his beta.

Blue didn't like the smell of the antiseptic, but she agreed with his opinion.

His ribs still felt just bruised and he could breathe well enough. If Charlie had hit him with full force he would have breaks for sure.

She had held back, had been aware who he was.

He whistled and Charlie came forward again, head lowered, showing submission to the alpha and his beta.

"Open wide, girl. Lemme see how it looks."

Raptors were fast healers. Cuts and abrasion, even flesh wounds from other raptors, were bothersome, but never reason to really worry. He just wanted to check.

Charlie did as told and Owen did a quick visual check. Yes, no more metal. No more blood either. The abrasions on her jaw looked worse than they were. Like a kid with a skinned knee.

"I'll have Themming take a look when we're back. Just to be on the safe side."

Charlie made an unhappy noise. He smiled.

"I know." Owen picked up the metal piece again and studied it. "Now where did that come from?"

x XX JW XX x

He found the source not much later. A thigh bone, probably from a young triceratops, held together by metal. Someone, way back when, had surgically nailed together the broken bone of the animal. Charlie had bitten down on the fragment that had come loose.

No more fun and games in this boneyard, he decided, telling the pack just as much through the bond.

tbc...


	22. Chapter 22

They came back home later that evening, cutting the trip short because of the injuries sustained. Owen couldn't say he had perfected any kind of shield in that time, but he was more aware of what path not to travel.

It was a beginning.

He had let himself go past the pack connection two more times, but each time it had been almost too much. The pack had been his anchor, Blue his beacon, and they had been distrustful of the others outside their pack. They didn't like the fact that their alpha could feel them, but they understood it was necessary to test the limits to establish shields.

Blue especially didn't like him going beyond the pack bond, but she had accepted the necessity. It was the only way for Owen to understand his limits. It kept him safe and it kept the pack safe.

"This will take a while."

Blue snorted. She had been an almost constant, sometimes suffocating presence in his mind and Owen had had to push her away. It had resulted in a pissed off beta for an hour, but then she had returned.

_I don't like it._

"I know, Blue. Neither do I. It's something new and something that could be dangerous to me. So it could be dangerous to you. I want to protect us. That's all."

She flexed her fingers, snarling softly.

Owen met her eyes, calm and assertive, being the alpha. This was his choice.

Blue finally nodded. Their alpha was their protector. The pack was his guard.

Echo, freed of her harness, was exploring their paddock with Delta. Blue had opted to stay outside for a while. Charlie was watching, her attention mostly on her alpha. Like with Echo, so long ago, she was at the fringe of the pack because she had hurt the alpha.

None of them had liked it when Owen had passed by the t-rex enclosure. They had liked it even less when the rex had been there, watching them, watching Owen, studying the small human with keen interest.

She knew who he was. She knew he was the alpha raptor and she had been aware of his dominant status. While a t-rex lived in family groups – male, female, youngsters – they had no sense of pack. So the alpha sense was new to her, but she responded in a way.

More than to her caretakers, whom she would never accept as equals.

Blue's presence shifted, wrapping itself protectively around Owen for a second, then retreating slightly. The pack was still there, a bit stronger than usual, but that connection was going back to normal.

They had been so much closer in the past ten days. Forming that familiar circle around him, protective and caring, not willing to lose their alpha to the other dinosaurs at the park.

Charlie, Delta and Echo had finally given him more room.

Not Blue.

She was like a six foot tall, fierce and deadly personal bodyguard.

She pushed her head against his chest, the possessiveness rising again. Owen let her, smiling when a claw lodged.

"I'm not going to expand the pack," he murmured, closing his eyes. He let himself sink into her presence. "You're mine and I don't need more. I won't ever need more. But you can feel what they do. Like the i-rex."

She snarled and Owen projected calmness.

"I'm here for you. To protect you, like you protect me in turn. That means to keep them out, but also to see how much I can influence them."

Blue lifted her head, lips curled back from the sharp teeth.

_Prey._

"And other predators. This is what I have to do, Blue. With you. This was the beginning and it's a long, hard way. I'll need you as my anchors. I need you to trust me, like I trust you."

Her reaction was almost overwhelming, that trust and love. Owen smiled, rubbing his palm over her nose.

"Thank you."

x XX JW XX x

He checked on Charlie next, who was completely obedient and submissive. She whined a little, seeking the alpha's closeness, and he patted her neck when he was done with another visual check.

"Good girl."

The wound looked good. Still a little more swollen and it would probably give her trouble when she tore into her food tomorrow, but for now it was a lot better than it could have been.

The doc would have to check her, maybe give her a few shots.

Delta snapped at her and Owen whistled sharply.

"No," he commanded briskly. "Behave."

Blue growled at them both and butted against Delta, who danced back, snorting. Blue gave her a warning look. Echo padded over to Charlie and sniffed at her, then rumbled softly as she rubbed against her pack sister.

"This'll be just like back then," Owen sighed.

With Echo. After the i-rex disaster. Echo had attacked him, the pack had turned against her, pushing her to the fringe. Now Charlie had injured Owen and it was the same.

_She will learn._

He glanced at his beta. "Yeah."

_She trusts you. We all do. She was in pain._

"I don't blame her. And if we hadn't been in the middle of nowhere, I would have called the vet, but this needed to be out before it went any deeper."

He felt a soft warmth at the back of his neck and was gently nuzzled. Owen let her rest her chin on his shoulder.

He knew that what he had done would seem reckless to anyone else, but the raptors weren't just animals. They had near-human intelligence. Blue more so than the others. They understood him, they reasoned, they listened. Yes, the instinct was stronger than logic in some situations, but he had a unique connection.

Blue agreed, lifting her head and watching the other three. She finally joined them, rumbling at the pack to follow her into the stables.

Owen grinned and followed, locking up after them.

They could do this.

Together.

x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x

Owen had driven down into Jurassic World and parked his bike in his usual spot near the main building. Everyone was busily moving around and especially the IT department was brimming with activity. Owen had never had a head for computers outside of using his own. If he had a problem with his cell phone, tablet or laptop, he dropped the device off with one of the IT guys.

Claire was in her office, as usual. She gave him a welcoming smile as he knocked.

"Back from your vacation?" she asked with a teasing note.

"More like a survey run, but yeah."

"I hope you enjoyed yourself. What can I do for you?"

He lingered near the door, not sure Claire was the right person to talk to. On one side she was in charge of the theme park, the park operations manager. She and Owen had gone up against the i-rex and brought the psychotic thing down. They had survived something terrifying together, had become friends, and he trusted her.

On the other side, Claire wasn't talented. She had no idea what it meant to be a preternatural. Nancy or Reggie might have been a better sounding board, but Owen wasn't sure he really wanted to tell anyone from the other trainers about what had happened.

"Got a minute?" he asked.

She checked the time and switched off the computer with a nod. "Coffee?" Claire simply offered.

"Sounds good."

"I've been dying to try out our new coffee machine anyway. It was delivered yesterday. Management staff only." She winked. "You qualify, Mr. Grady."

x XX JW XX x

"I'm not sure what to make of it," Owen confessed, looking into his coffee.

His really good, strong, very black coffee. It was even better than what he had had down in the Main Street village so far. The investment into this fancy coffee machine was a sound one in his opinion.

Claire looked at him, blue eyes deep and thoughtful. She had let him talk. No interruptions. He had told her about the vague sense he had had of the other dinosaurs already. Of his growing ability to distinguish some of the predators. Of something the alpha of a raptor pack shouldn't be able to do.

"You're not a velociraptor, Owen," she finally said. "You are the human alpha of a pack of raptors that have a near-human intelligence. In Blue's case I would go as far as to say that she is as intelligent as a human."

He didn't contradict her. Whatever Wu and Keller had spliced into that particular DNA strain, Blue was exceptional.

"And because you are not a velociraptor, but a very talented, very strong preternatural, it might be your nature to expand your abilities."

"I'm not actively trying."

"You have grown with your position, Owen," Claire reminded him. "You have taken on a huge challenge and it evolved your mind, too. No matter whether you're a preternatural or not, challenging your brain creates new connections, new pathways. It's how we humans learn."

"Where does it end?"

"I can't really answer that."

Not that he had thought she might. Who knew what a preternatural brain was capable of? Especially one connected to lethal killing machines like raptors. Four of them. All intelligent and highly protective of their human alpha.

"What you do… is amazing, Owen. What you have already achieved is like science fiction to many. Your mind is so very much receptive. If you hadn't bonded with Blue, if you had tried it with another breed, you would have had success as well. The velociraptors are engineered, but not you. That's the difference."

He nodded and drank his coffee. "All I have to learn now is to shield from the others."

Owen didn't really want to think about what it meant too deeply. His brain had been spinning with the possibilities already. Could he train other dinosaurs? Could he get them to follow his commands? Could he control a herd of apatorsaurs? Or triceratopes? As adults, even?

The pack had reacted with almost hostile force to the very idea that their alpha would want to work with another pack, especially prey. He had had four very pissed off raptors for a while, until he had eased up on those thoughts and reassured them of their place with him.

"Have you talked to your colleagues?"

Grady shook his head. "It's something I'm not comfortable with sharing."

She raised her eyebrows and he shrugged. "I'm honored," Claire said with a fine smile and warmth in her eyes that had him smile in turn. "There's always an open door."

"Thanks. So, anything new while I was gone?"

She chuckled. "It's not like you left the island, Owen. And no, nothing new. I haven't heard back from Masrani about the audit and it might take a while until we hear anything. We're still on time with everything. The Creation Lab informed me that they expect the new pteranodons to hatch within the next two or three days. Everything looks just fine. If all eggs hatch, we'll have half a dozen babies."

"And the dimorphodons?"

"We lost the first nest, but the second one is developing just fine. Two weeks and we'll see."

Owen nodded.

"Personnel-wise we're to full capacity again. The park is more than ready to reopen. Main Street is waiting for visitors, the restaurants and bars, as well as the hotel, are already serving the visiting scientists."

"You're itching to reopen," Owen remarked.

"I am. I want to get back into the saddle, Owen. We need to reopen."

For everyone. Not just because Masrani Global had invested so much, but also for everyone else. Those who had survived the i-rex incident, those who had been injured, those who had died.

"We will," he said.

"Oh, by the way, we've had inquiry by one of the interns to watch you work with the pack," Claire said in a by-the-way tone of voice.

Owen scowled at her. "And you said…?"

"I said I'd ask you. It's you decision since you run this 'project' and since you are the man in charge of the raptors."

His scowl deepened.

"You can talk to Themming, if you want. He's been supervising the intern so far. Looks like he's a good vet's assistant."

"Herbivores?"

"And treating one of the baryonyxes after she got into a fight with an older one of the pack. Themming says he's a promising young man."

"Now he wants to scare him with the raptors?"

Claire smiled. "Your girls are up for their annual shots, right?"

Owen groaned.

"Owen?"

"Okay, okay. I feel like I'm the main attraction in a horror roadshow."

"No, you're the Chief Raptor Behavioral Analyst and a damn good pack alpha." Claire raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay with it?"

"Let's see how he behaves when he comes visiting with Themming."

"Good. And thank you."

"Thank me later when he hasn't run off screaming."

It got Owen a smile.

tbc...


	23. Chapter 23

"You what."

It wasn't even a question. Dr. Gary Themming just looked at him with an expression that was a mix between absolutely flat and mildly shocked.

"First aid. That's all, Gary." Owen gave him a bright smile.

Themming rolled his eyes. He finally shook his head.

"You removed a piece of metal by hand. Out of the mouth of a raptor. You pack, sure, but still a dangerous animal."

Owen just raised his eyebrows.

"You are even more crazy than I had ever thought."

"Charlie trusts me."

"That doesn't have anything to do with trust, Grady. She's a wild animal and she was in pain. You reached into her jaws and removed something stuck in her gums!" He looked at Owens bandaged wrist. "Well?"

"She didn't bite me."

"She scratched you. You bled."

"It happens."

Themming sighed deeply.

Off to the side stood a young man, probably just out of vet school, looking slightly terrified. His eyes were on the raptors milling around behind the fence. Blue wasn't moving. She just stood there, watching him.

Owen knew she was doing it to get a reaction. She was getting one. One of fear.

Cut it out, he thought. He was aware that she felt it, but she wasn't inclined to stop her play. It was amusing for her.

"Let me have a look at that after I check your pack."

Owen smirked. "I don't need a vet, Doc."

"Very funny, Grady. Are your shots up to date?"

"Of course they are."

"Why do I even ask," was the comment. He looked over at the paddock. "Who's my patient?"

Owen whistled and called his pack member. "Charlie! Box!" He made a sharp gesture toward the stables.

Charlie pushed Echo aside and barked briefly, trotting over to the cattle stand. She sniffed at it, not happy about getting immobilized in it, but it was the alpha's order.

The intern, Peter Kozinski, if Owen remembered correctly, was watching it all with wide eyes. Themming got out the necessary medication and slowly approached the stand. Charlie watched him with suspicion, nostrils blowing wide, and Owen rubbed a palm over her nose.

"Open wide, Charlie," the pack leader said and she followed the command.

Themming did a quick visual check, never getting too close, then handed a syringe with a little nozzle to Owen. "Antibiotics. Just coat her gums with it. Same goes for the abrasions, though they look good. Fast healers, as not otherwise expected."

Grady did as instructed. Charlie wasn't in pain and she was still embarrassed enough about losing control and hurting her alpha to hold absolutely still. She was the model patient.

"How do you do that?" Peter breathed when Owen released his charge.

Charlie smacked her lips. She didn't like the taste of the cream, but it wasn't sickening either. The others let her rejoin the pack, sniffing at her, then they all trotted off.

Except Blue, who was watching the two humans and her alpha attentively.

"They trust me. I'm their alpha," Grady said simply.

Themming rolled his eyes, but he was silent. Like many he knew that Owen was a preternaturally talented man.

He released Charlie and the others sniffed at her, Delta sneezing at the smell of antibiotics. Owen locked the stables and turned to Themming.

"Let's go inside," he said, holding up his wrapped hand.

The vet and his assistant followed.

x XX JW XX x

Owen's injury looked good and while Themming told him to get his shots renewed, everything was up to date, as it should be.

"Slap a band-aid on that," he told him. "And get the shots, okay?"

"Yes, sir."

"Oh shut it, Grady."

Owen grinned and Themming just gave him a half-smile. He slipped on his Henley.

"So, tell me about the intern."

Themming closed his bag. "He's a good kid. A little sheltered when it comes to hands-on work, but he knows what I'm talking about. Not a bookworm, not a complete nerd, and a little too respectful when it comes to big animals. Respect is good. Respects keeps you alive. But you gotta touch a dinosaur some time to give him a shot."

Owen mirrored the vet's grin.

"Looks like good assistant material so far," Themming went on. "I could work with what he showed so far, but he still has a few more departments to go."

"Like the raptor behavior analysis guy?"

"Like you, Grady."

"Well, I'll try not to get him eaten."

"That's all I ask."

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Alan looked like he was drawn between face-palming and just ranting at Owen for his stupidity and blatant disregard for danger when it came to his pack.

"Nothing happened, Alan."

"I can see that nothing happened, but that's not the point! You reached into the maw of a raptor, who wasn't sedated!"

"Charlie is my pack and I had it under control."

Alan groaned. "I've heard that so often before."

Owen raised his eyebrows. "Don't start quoting Ian at me. They are my pack. I had the backing of my beta. And I couldn't leave Charlie like that. We wouldn't have made it back without the wound making even more trouble. She has scars enough already. I'm not about to lose her to something like that."

The professor sighed. "I know, Owen, I know. You trust them. You are connected to them. I understand that."

"But?"

"You take too many risks."

"Calculated and necessary risks."

"That's your opinion."

"I appreciate your worry, Alan, but this is what I do. Charlie did just fine. It would have been worse, you know that. I have a scratch and a few bruises. I could have lost a limb or died."

Alan's lips were a thin line.

"And now I have an intern," Owen added lightly.

That got him a reluctant smile. Grant didn't really want to switch topics, but he followed Owen's lead.

"I hope he won't end up as a snack."

He grinned. "Nah. Too much paperwork. He already survived the t-rex. I've got ground rules. Let's see how he follows. If not, I'll boot him back to Themming."

"Is he talented?"

"No clue. No way to test it either."

Alan looked thoughtful, silent for a few seconds.

"What about your growing sensitivity?"

Owen rolled his eyes. "You make it sound so bad."

It got him a smirk.

"And I'm good. As long as I don't start meditating again, I think I'm good. I always sensed them in the back of my mind. The problem is heading into the back of my mind and looking at what's there."

"So you're sensitive?" Alan teased.

Grady groaned. "I'm just not the alpha of everyone, okay? The pack's enough."

"And they wouldn't like competition."

"Nope. Blue wasn't happy. I don't want to be the pack alpha of the whole island population. Those four are enough. It's interesting, but I'm not going there. There are more talented preternaturals working here. I don't want their jobs."

"Neither do they want yours. No one would."

"Why, thank you, Professor Grant," he said dryly.

Alan smiled. "You know what I mean. You do a great job, kid. No one else would be able to do it."

"Uh, thanks."

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Two days later Peter Kozinski started his internship with Owen. He was tall, wiry, and a wealth of theoretical knowledge in all things biological and medical. Hands-on work was what he was missing, as well as the experience needed to work with different kinds of animals, especially dinosaurs.

He was eager, yes. But he had never worked for a larger zoo before. Themming had told Owen that their intern had glowing references from two other vets, but both working only with smaller animals. Dogs, cats, guinea pigs.

Owen had only sighed at the information.

The pack was curious. Peter didn't get too close to the paddock and he looked nervous and tense when Owen introduced the girls.

"You've been around the park, right?"

"Uh, yeah."

"And I know you spent some time with the stegosaurs and triceratopes."

It got him a nod.

"Any experience with predators?"

"Kinda. Dr. Themming did his quarterly check on the t-rex."

"And?"

"He showed me the baryonyxes."

"Alright. The rules are easy," he told the younger man. "Don't go into the paddock. Never. You're an outsider and the pack will defend themselves. Don't touch them or try to feed them from hand. Always make sure the gate to the outside is locked when you enter the stables."

Peter nodded.

"Ask if you have questions. Remember that they are dangerous predators, Kozinski. No matter how they behave around me, you're a stranger. They don't trust you."

Another nod.

"Unlike the herbivores, no one works with the predators outside show stuff. Nancy doesn't ride the mosa and Josh and Laurel don't hand-feed the t-rex. The raptors are not part of Jurassic World. They are part of a study, an experiment. They are not tame."

Peter nodded again.

Oh well, Owen thought. It would be interesting to see how this went.

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_Can we eat him?_

Owen, who was currently painting the porch of his house after he had done the southern side of his house the day before, stopped in his work, tilting his head a little.

"What?" he asked, though there was no one around.

Even today, so many years into their bond, he wasn't sure how much of his question would transmit through the connection if he didn't voice it out loud. It was something he wanted to work on, wanted to experiment with, but he had yet to find the time and necessary quiet. With an intern on his property it was even worse.

Peter Kozinski was eager to learn, but he shied away from hands-on work. Owen had given him the task of watching the raptors and writing down their interaction throughout the day. It was a simple behavioral study of pack dynamics and he had been all over that. His charts were elaborate, color-coded and downright publishable in a paper.

Owen had been impressed.

He had also told him that researchers cleaned stables and cleared old food out of the paddock area. That was something Mr. Kozinsiki wasn't keen on.

Owen told him it was all or nothing. So he did it.

_He looks delicious._

Blue sounded downright teasing. Almost laughing.

"Hell," Owen muttered and wiped his hands on his jeans. "What's he doing?"

_Being stupid?_

He reached out for his beta and Blue welcomed him along the connection. That was something they had started to train more and more often. With every member of the pack. Delta wasn't fazed, but Echo was nervous when her alpha became such a dominant presence in her mind. Charlie just told him that it itched her.

And then Owen was Blue and it was a little disconcerting. Well, more than a little. His sense of Self was gone. He was Blue and he was the pack and he was Owen Grady. Mostly he was Blue. She was a well-known mind to him. Powerful, accommodating him easily, not the least bit disturbed by her alpha's presence, and welcoming.

What he saw hat Owen groan softly.

Peter Kozinski, in the stables, cleaning the bones from the pack's last meal away.

The gate to the outside was open.

And Blue was no more than ten yards away from the oblivious intern. She remained completely motionless, only her eyes tracking his movement.

Delta had edged closer from the other side, head cocked curiously, already displaying the first signs of a hunt.

"No, Delta," Owen said, already on the move. "Don't!"

Delta sniffed noiselessly. She projected playful hunting instinct. Not to kill, just to chase. Like Blue she knew that the intern was off limits, like all humans on the island – unless they threatened or harmed their alpha – but like Blue she also knew that Kozinski had made a mistake.

And the pack easily corrected mistakes.

To teach.

This was their territory and if an outsider entered it, he better be prepared to face the consequences.

Blue prowled slowly closer and Owen stopped her with a strong pull along the bond.

_I don't intend to harm him, alpha_, was her calm reply.

"Giving him a heart attack isn't fun either."

He had had to pull out a little as he was running over to the stables, but Blue's presence was still strong. She enjoyed those moments and Owen had to confess he did, too. Experiencing what it was like to be a velociraptor was a thrill mixed with unease, mostly because humans weren't meant to feel like such a lethal predator.

Owen was different. His mind had adjusted rapidly. Maybe he should be more concerned, but somehow he wasn't.

He punched in the code to enter the outer gate of the stables, locked it behind himself, then walked through the second door. Kozinski was still mucking the stables, completely unaware of the two raptors who were watching him with sharp, cold eyes. Delta had moved into the shadows, lips pulling back from sharp teeth and ready to spring into action. Blue was the closest, eying the intern with curiosity.

As Owen walked in, she turned and met her alpha's eyes. Her nostrils blew wide. She briefly bared her teeth, like a cool, knowing grin.

_He is inattentive. It will get him killed._

Oh yeah. It would.

Peter looked up as he heard the door lock and smiled briefly at Owen. "Hey."

"Care to tell me what you are doing, Mr. Kozinski?"

"Uh, what you told me to do? Muck the stables?"

"Is there a reason why you chose to ignore the rules?"

It got him a bewildered look. "I didn't…"

"What did I tell you about safety measures? Check the doors. Keep them locked, not just closed."

"They are locked."

"Then why are you currently sized up by two of my pack who think you might make a good appetizer?"

Kozinski froze, his face shifting from bewilderment to horror to 'you're fucking with me, right?'. The last option won as he didn't turn around immediately, thinking this was a prank.

"The doors were locked," he insisted.

"Blue," Owen sighed and gave his beta a long-suffering look.

Blue snorted loudly, then barked sharply, making their presence known.

Peter whirled around and the shovel fell out of his hands, mouth open in silent terror, his whole body freezing. His face looked an unhealthy shade of gray. He almost wasn't breathing.

Blue regarded him like a very interesting piece of meat, lifting her lips to show more teeth.

_Stop scaring the kid_, Owen thought.

_He made a mistake that he should be aware of. We don't kill. We listen to you. Others won't be that lenient._

Owen quirked an eyebrow at his beta, who had no trouble at all understanding the mimicry. Blue was as human as Owen, and Owen had an understanding of raptors that went beyond behavioral analysis. He felt another thrill chitter through him, one coming from Delta, and he reached for her to keep her in line.

Delta snorted, amused by his command. She wouldn't kill. She might bruise him a little, but he wouldn't bleed or break.

Owen still gave her a definite 'no'.

Peter made a breathy little noise, almost a squeaky plea for help.

Grady decided to give his intern a break and walked over to Blue, who rumbled softly. It was clear amusement. The rumble turned into a purring as Owen placed a hand against her neck.

"Go," he simply said.

Delta stepped out of the shadows and Kozinski stumbled back, crying out in fear.

"Stay where you are!" Owen snapped and the younger man froze, eyes wide, breath coming in gasps. "Delta, outide," he added, making a decisive gesture.

Delta grumbled, clearly more in the mood to chase the human around. She walked past her alpha, rubbing her head against his shoulder, and Owen stroked over her flank.

"Good girl. And thank you."

Blue watched it all, then nuzzled against his neck. He smiled.

_Just go_, he told her silently. _Let me handle him._

Blue padded out of the stables and Owen heard the door click closed, though it wasn't locked. He turned to his intern and gave him a narrow-eyed look.

"Care to tell me about locked doors again?"

"I… I…"

"Velociraptors are highly intelligent, Mr. Kozinski. They were genetically engineered to be more than their ancestors. These aren't the school book raptors. They can think in complex terms. They can plan ahead and they form strategies. They are pack hunters. And they can open unlocked doors." Owen's glare intensified. "All of them. They figured it out as tiny little babies. Pushing down a door handle or turning a door knob is nothing. They can lift a latch with their talons if there is enough room. You always, always check the doors, Mr. Kozinski. Do I make myself clear?"

Peter, who had paled more and more, trembling like a leaf in the wind, swallowed. "Y-yes. I didn't… hear them."

"They are perfect hunters. Silent, stealthy, and when you see them you're already dead. I think you should brush up on your dinosaurs that roam this island."

"I thought they were tamer. I mean, you… you walk around the enclosure and you touched them just now… and just sent them away."

Owen felt like hitting his head against a wall. Blue's presence was still strong and very steady in his mind. She felt his frustration and his annoyance.

_He is young. He hasn't been taught._

_He's got a degree and he was sent out into the world to work with animals_, he told her with exasperation. _Any other dinosaur and he would be either dead or severely mauled._

_We taught him._

Yeah, well, they had, he mused to himself.

"I am their alpha," he told Peter, each word measured. "I've raised them. I'm connected to them. I know Claire told you that I'm a preternatural. I have a bond to them. They are not tame, nor can they ever be tame. I don't control them."

Kozinski nodded slowly. He was still trembling a little.

"Pay attention to what you do, okay?" Owen said sternly. "We're talking about your life."

Another nod.

"Now get out of here. You're done for today."

Kozinski swallowed hard. "Am I fired?"

Owen was drawn between saying yes and giving him another chance.

_He has learned, Owen._

_Thank you, peanut gallery_, he thought.

Blue chuckled. From not far away came a barely audible rumble. Owen felt his senses stretch a little and he almost laughed out loud. Blue was just around the corner and while she had closed the doors, she was still inside.

"No," Grady sighed, running a hand over his face, stubble scraping his palm. "Just take a day off, kid. Hit the books, get on the Jurassic World net and have a look around what we have here. Get your head together and come back the day after tomorrow. Then we start again."

"Thank you!"

"Don't thank me."

Peter gave him a confused look.

"They didn't kill you, Peter. They had watched you for a long time, were there all the time you were mucking their stables. They could have killed you any moment they wanted. Blue decided to teach you a lesson. She was the one who called me."

Kozinski's eyes widened.

"Now go. Think about what happened today."

He nodded and turned, stumbling out of the stables.

Owen closed his eyes and expelled a sigh. "Damnit! How stupid can one person be?"

He would have to talk to Claire and also to Themming. This had been beyond idiotic. The guy was suicidal the way he worked with dangerous animals! In a tiger enclosure with unlocked doors he would have been mauled or killed. Basic safety!

Blue stepped around the corner and gazed at him, all regal grace.

"Why me?" Owen muttered.

She silently walked over to him and pushed her forehead lightly against his shoulder.

"Thank you, Blue. For not touching him."

She purred when he scratched her bowed neck.

"You did well, beta. Very well. I'm proud of you."

He sent the same at Delta, who preened. She was outside with her sisters.

Blue raised her head and took one step closer, letting Owen wrap his arm around her neck, her own arms and the sharp claws touching the vulnerable human sides.

_Alpha_, she rumbled. _Your orders._

He smiled, feeling some tension flow out of his body, the warm, solid form leeching off the anger and annoyance.

Owen stayed like that, intimately close to one of the most dangerous of predators, soaking up Blue's strength, balancing himself and anchoring his mind in hers, just like she drew her calmness and strength from him. It was give and take, and with their closeness came the constant evolution of both their minds.

"I think we need to work off some energy," he said after a while and stepped back.

Blue was at his side when they stepped out of the stables to join the rest of the pack. All three perked up as they caught on to what Owen wanted to do. All three were eager, especially Delta, who had been in a hunting mood already.

tbc...


	24. Chapter 24

_Come with me?_

Owen had parked his bike on a clearing and Blue was not far away, giving him a calm look. The sun was high in the sky, bathing everything in clear warmth. The sky was almost cloud-free.

Blue looked warm, relaxed, at ease.

And the offer was clear.

It was training. His training and that of his pack. Usually he chose Blue because she was the most steady mind. He knew her inside out and he could handle surges of primal instinct when he was a back seat rider.

"Sure?" he teased. "You want a backseat driver?"

She chuffed, amused. _You are always welcome, alpha._

The warmth flowing through him would probably never become old or turn into no sensation at all at those words. Blue's trust was something incredible, something wonderful, and something that Owen could always cherish. It was a trust born from years of growing together, their evolution, and the bond that was so much more than just alpha and beta.

"Just take it easy," Owen said as he sat down with his back against a boulder.

It was comfortable.

Blue tilted her head, looking amused. _Come._

Owen closed his eyes, reaching for his beta, his breathing slow and regular, his body relaxing as he felt Blue's touch against his mind. Safe and secure, calm and assured of her place with him, on this island, their territory.

She trotted off, Owen riding in the back of her mind. Now and then he felt himself go out of alignment, distracted by the otherness of the raptor mind, but his own abilities caught him and he held on. Blue took care to wrap more of herself around his presence, shield him, keep him anchored.

She took up speed, her gait sure and easy, running along a well-trodden path. Strong claws dug into the ground, propelling her forward. Her balance was perfect, her movements smooth and unhindered. She wound through the trees and bushes, not yet hunting, so she made more noise than usually.

Blue stopped after a while, listening the sounds around her. The call of macaws or monkeys. The rustle of leaves disturbed by the other animals. The scent of near-by prey, of the flowers blooming further down the path, a heavy, almost pungent smell. Her eyes, sharp and alert, caught the tiny little signs of Charlie, Delta and Echo around her.

The pack was hidden in the depths of the jungle. Wherever they stepped, birds rose with alarmed cries or mammals fled. They weren't hunting. No one would see them if they were.

Death came on silent feet.

After a while it was easy to stay balanced and Blue gave her alpha an amused poke.

_Yeah, yeah, laugh at me_, Owen told her.

_I never would, alpha._

The pack was now closer, too. They all had this connection and Owen was smack in the middle. They brushed against his mind as they would in the physical world, touching, reassuring themselves and him, never losing that bond.

Blue barked at her pack and they fanned out again, exploring, patrolling their territory. She took Owen along the coastal path, the salty smell of the ocean in her nose, and the wind coming in from the sea against her skin.

Owen was completely at ease now. He enjoyed himself.

Immensely.

x XX JW XX x

Returning to himself was easier than it had been in the beginning. He blinked his eyes open and was back in his own body, sitting against the boulder.

Owen had never been completely unaware of where he was and what was happening around him. He wasn't the raptor, didn't become Blue. He had watched like he would watch TV, just with an added dimension and the lingering sensation of being Blue.

He got to his feet and stretched. It whispered through him, the feeling of primal strength and sharp instincts.

_I'm human_, Owen told himself. _Only human. Not a velociraptor._

But, in a way, there was a small part of him, the one forever bonded to his pack, that was the raptor.

The alpha.

Blue sent agreement. Owen wasn't like the others and hadn't been for a while.

Like there was a part of his four girls that was in a strange way human. Blue more than the others, but they were no mere animals either. They had been genetically engineered to fit Owen's talented mind, his preternatural ability, but their development had been because of the bond.

x XX JW XX x

They came back before nightfall, pleasantly tired, feeling happy and light and warm in his head. Brushing against their alpha, the pack reaffirmed physical contact, then allowed themselves to be muzzled.

Owen took the long road back, arriving at the house just as the sun set completely. He locked the gate behind the raptors after he had parked his bike, then walked into his home.

Dinner was nuked leftover casserole and bread.

x XX JW XX x

He fell asleep in front of the TV.

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"He nearly got himself killed, Claire!"

She looked at him, calm and composed, almost reminding Owen of the look Blue had given him.

Huh.

"They didn't touch him, though. They called you."

"Yes, they did. Because they know I hate having a mess in the stables. And the paperwork that comes with an intern getting mauled!"

Claire leaned back, regarding him with unwavering calm. "I heard you gave him a dressing down and sent him home, but not packing."

Owen sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "He's a good kid, but it's all theory and no practical experience with that guy. He walks around the raptor compound as if he's surrounded by fluffy bunnies, Claire! He didn't take it seriously!"

"Now he does?"

"I hope as hell he will!"

Claire smiled at him. "You'll let him finish his internship?"

"Yeah," he muttered. "He can finish. I think he learned his lesson. Blue thinks so, too."

She raised a delicate eyebrow.

Owen frowned at her. "What? She is the pack beta."

"I know."

He gave her a challenging look. Claire kept her mild smile in place, brows rising a little.

"Any news from the audit?" Owen finally asked, changing the topic.

"Only good things. We're moving forward as planned and Simon has set the reopening date."

"Good. Lots of pressure, hm?"

"I can handle it."

Better than Owen had handled the bungling intern, was the unspoken addition.

"You take care of your pack, Owen Grady. I'll take care of the park."

"I am part of this part, Claire."

"You have your job, I have mine. Do yours."

Owen rose and gave her a lazy salute. "Yes, ma'am."

Claire's amusement was clear to see.

x XX JW XX x

Owen went for a drink at Margaritaville, where he ran into Nancy, Josh and Laurel. They waved at him to come over.

"Heard about the kid getting a good scare," Josh said, grinning.

Owen rolled his eyes. "Anyone who hasn't heard about that yet?"

"Among the trainers and keepers? Nope! He went straight to Themming to tell him what he did. He was almost in tears over it and I think he's still terrified."

"Did they really almost eat him?" Nancy asked, eyes sparkling with humor.

"No. He left the gate between the stables and the paddock unlocked. Blue opened it and she and Delta went inside. Watching him. For a while, actually. She called me, asked if they could eat him." Owen grinned a little.

"Your girls have a sense of humor."

"Always had."

"They get it from you?" Laurel teased.

Actually, kind of, Owen mused to himself. Because his humanity bled off into them.

"And they didn't even take a nibble?" Josh chuckled.

"No. They are ladies."

"Right…"

"I like the kid," Laurel said, sipping at her Coke. "He's a bit of a nerd and he knows a ton of facts. Give him hands-on experience and we might have a good vet's assistance."

They talked some more, actually two more hours, until Owen decided to head back home. It had been a long and exciting day.

Time to get some sleep.

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Alan laughed when he told him about the stable incident. His blue eyes danced and the crinkles around them deepened. He didn't seem to be able to stop.

"Dear god!" he managed wheezing. "That man is probably the only person to come out of such a situation alive!"

"You mistake the pack for another kind of raptor," Owen said sourly.

Alan grinned. "I've met your pack. With bars between us, thank you very much. I know they wouldn't go against your orders. I'm just saying… It's probably the best learning experience for Mr. Kozinski. He won't make that mistake ever again."

"Nope. And he'll be back tomorrow."

"You think?"

"I know. He wants the job and Themming says he's good. A bit more grooming and a lot more ass-kicking and he'll be even better."

Alain grinned widely.

Owen let his head fall back, staring at the ceiling. There was a tension in his shoulders again that wasn't healthy.

"I'll kill him myself if he ever does something like that again!"

_No, you won't._

"No, you won't," Alain echoed what Blue had said.

"I hate you."

_You love me._

"No, you don't," Alan said easily.

"Don't you have a lecture to prepare for? A book to write?"

"No," was the innocent answer.

"I think I hear the pack calling," Owen said. "Gotta go. Bye!"

Alan laughed and Owen just finished the video call.

You are not helping, he addressed Blue.

She was smugness incarnate. And she was looking forward to meeting Peter Kozinski again tomorrow.

"Behave," Owen muttered.

_We always do._

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Peter was back, bright and early, looking slightly apprehensive and very apologetic.

Owen just gave him his To-Do list, which included picking up a load of meat from the meat kitchens and a new round of behavioral studies.

"Thank you for giving me another chance," Kozinski said.

"You haven't gotten eaten yet. Think about that. I'll see you at lunch time, kid."

x XX JW XX x

"Did you ever think about riding them?"

Owen blinked. "Come again?"

Peter raised the harness he had been inspecting. It had been a week since the stable incident and he had been on his best behavior. He had double and triple checked every gate and door, much to Blue's continued amusement. The pack hadn't given him much grief and he was studiously working on his tasks.

"The raptors. You got them to carry stuff. They wear the harness. How about a saddle?"

Owen could only stare at the younger man. "You want to ride a dinosaur? A raptor?"

Kozinski shrugged.

In the paddock, Blue had turned to look at them through the bars, chuffing softly. In Owen's head he heard her laughter. The rest of the pack was puzzled by the very idea, though Echo proclaimed she could do it. She was still proud to be the one with the saddle bags and Owen had trained with her a few times, testing how much weight she could safely be saddled with and how it influenced her maneuverability and speed.

His intern had been banned from entering the paddock in general, but he was allowed in the stables. He was so aware of stable security, he kept rechecking the locked doors. But he had been allowed to watch Owen work. Mostly he had just stared with wide eyes and baited breath.

"They are the size of horses and they might be strong enough to carry a human," Kozinski now went on, oblivious to the pack's amusement.

"Why?"

Peter shrugged. "Why not? I mean, you got cameras on them. They carry stuff. You can lead them and direct them, give them commands. You could ride one of them instead your bike."

"Again: why?"

"Practicality?"

Owen sighed and shook his head. "One: they aren't tame."

"But…"

"I'm their alpha, not their owner or tamer, Mr. Kozinski. They follow out of respect. Two: they aren't horses. They are dinosaurs. You don't ride dinosaurs."

"Mr. Faulkes sometimes does."

Owen groaned. He knew Reggie had trained his apatosaurs to allow him to step onto their heads and deposit him somewhere else. It was the demonstration of his growing talent.

"Just because someone once rode on a zebra for a movie scene doesn't make them riding animals either, right? Theoretically you could ride on giraffes and antilopes, too. Have you ever seen any of their caretakers do it? And third: no," he finally said. "You want to try it? Get your head bitten off? Be my guest."

Delta barked, like she offering to do just that. Blue was still laughing.

Kozinski paled.

Owen shook his head and picked up his rifle to sling it over his back. "Did you, by any chance, take any courses on behavioral sciences?"

"Uh, sure."

"You might want to hit the books again, Mr. Kozinski. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment to keep. And you have one, too. Dr. Themming is expecting you."

"Right! Nearly forgot!" The younger man grabbed his things and hurried over to his ATV.

Owen shook his head. "Geez, kid, you got a lot to learn still."

Blue snorted her agreement.

Well, he did have an appointment to keep himself

Official meeting of all department heads.

Reopening was coming closer and Claire had called in a full team meeting. Better not be late.

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Peter did last longer than Owen would have bet on a month ago.

He listened. He learned. And most importantly: he remembered what he had been taught.

And at least he didn't pursue his idea with riding a dinosaur, especially a velociraptor.

Claire had laughed at the idea and someone had photoshopped a picture again. Owen on a saddled velociraptor.

He had taken it with good humor.

x XX JW XX x

The pack was taking it with humor and intrigued fascination. Echo was convinced she could carry the alpha, though it would impede fast maneuvers and she would tire easily when running full speed.

"Thanks, girl," Owen said and scratched her jaw. "But I like my own ride. You girls are not my mounts."

She whined, slightly disappointed. But at least she could still carry the saddle bags.

"That you always will," he agreed.

Echo purred and leaned into the scratches.

Owen continued with his quarterly check of each raptor, running his palms over their skin, feeling for changes, for anything too hot or too sensitive to his touch. The scars had healed nicely, leaving visibly pale slashes on their otherwise colored skin.

Charlie's eye looked good and the scar gave her a roguish look. She had no impeded sight. The gum injury was gone. Completely healed. The whole time he checked her mouth, Charlie held still, like frozen, not even twitching a finger. He felt her intense concentration not to hurt him again.

She gave an apologetic rumble when Grady was done with her teeth and tongue check.

"No hard feeling," Owen told her, rubbing her nose.

She snuffled.

His cuts had healed without scarring and the bruise over his ribs had disappeared. He was fine. It had never been serious. He really had no hard feelings. The girls were still animals with animalistic instincts, reacting to pain inflicted on them, and if he had been anyone else, the hand would have been bitten off. That would have been the best case scenario. The worst case would have been an attack, probably ending in a severe mauling or even death.

Charlie whuffled, nosing at his hand. She wasn't an animal. She was pack. He was their alpha. She wouldn't hurt him.

"Yeah, you are," Owen said with a smile. "Pack."

They didn't see themselves on the same level as the other dinosaurs in the park. They had a human pack leader.

Blue was as always the last. She had regained mobility in all her fingers, the scars there no hindrance, and she was healthy as all of them.

_We thrive with you. The pack's strength comes from the alpha. You care for us, about us. So do we._

Owen, currently inspecting his beta's belly for tumors, growths or other changes, looked up. Blue was watching him, head turned, serene and knowing.

"I'm only as strong as you are, Blue. You are my beta. I couldn't do this without you."

Her nostrils widened and the cool, yellow eyes seemed to glow with the praise.

He straightened.

_We need each other._

That they did. Always.

Owen gave Blue a slap on the rump. "We got some training to do," he told her with a smile.

Blue snorted and barked at the pack, who all chittered and chattered with excitement.

"Gallimimus Valley, girls," he called. "You know what that means."

Delta looked unhappy, but Echo voiced that unhappiness over the need of the muzzle. It was like a hoard of teenagers complaining just to complain, even though they knew it was the rule and Owen never bent the rules in that regard.

x XX JW XX x

Twenty minutes later, muzzled and two of them equipped with cameras, they were on their way.

tbc...


	25. Chapter 25

With the status as raptor pack alpha and his new job description as the park's raptor behavioral analyst, Owen had also started to think of what would happen to his girls should something happen to him.

No one could say how long velociraptors lived. The oldest dinosaur alive today was the t-rex and she was twenty-five. John Hammond had seen her birth, had seen her grow, and she had been his pride and joy at the first Jurassic Park. The velociraptors of those days hadn't survived when the military had cleaned the island.

Those on Isla Sorna couldn't be dated, unless they were captured and closely examined.

No one was crazy enough to attempt that.

So, no one knew whether they were the original raptors or their offspring. No one had spent enough time to count the pack or had tried to identify individuals. Owen had been to the island only once, and though he would love to go back, he knew that right now he couldn't chance it.

Not because the pack might be jealous.

It was his own evolving mind that frightened him. He might be overwhelmed by the wild pack, might be drawn into their pack connection, and he wouldn't risk that.

So no one knew about how old raptors could get if they weren't killed by their own kind or humans. If Owen died before them for whatever reason, the pack needed to be taken care of. There had to be a contingency.

Simon Masrani had been way ahead in that regard. When Owen had dropped the man a mail in his personal email account to talk about the matter, he got a call back the same day.

An hour after sending off the mail.

It was a surprise.

Then again, maybe not.

"I was wondering when I would hear from you, Mr. Grady," had been the easy greeting. "Especially concerning the topic."

"Is that why I got such a quick, personal call back?"

Masrani laugh had been real. "Yes and no. Mostly yes. My lawyers have been working on this particular scenario. Among other things concerning you, the pack and what you represent."

While Josh, Laurel, Reggie, Nancy and whoever else was talented and had formed a faint connection of sorts with their specific charges could be replaced, Owen held a special status.

His connection was a permanent bond.

It went deeper. It was more personal. It was outside normal terms like empathy or telepathy. He had a control that couldn't be copied. He held a respect that no other keeper or trainer would ever get from the velociraptors.

Masrani had been very much aware of it and he, like Owen, knew there needed to be a contingency plan.

Now, months after the call and the long talk, Owen was presented the final draft of a special kind of contract. It wasn't a last will and testament. It more or less handed over the four velociraptors to their alpha on a permanent basis.

Masrani Global had had costs. Developing the DNA, splicing it, fertilizing the eggs, and so much more. Owen had no idea how much creating a real live dinosaur cost, but he bet even a small compsognathus had cost more than a medium-sized family home. Sure, with time and experience costs could be lowered, but the animals still needed work, medical treatment, food.

And then there was Owen Grady himself His house was actually a company-owned place. He had a lease, not a title. The land it stood on was Masrani Global's, leased to them by the Costa Rican government.

They could just boot him off the island if he became a problem or if they decided to terminate his contract. Owen was nothing more than an employee.

He had no way to just move and take the pack with him.

He depended on the good will of a billion-dollar company and the word of the CEO, who paid him a hefty salary.

So what if Masrani was no more? What would happen? And what if something happened to Owen? What would happen to the pack?

"I have an offer for you, Owen," Masrani had told him. "Read it thoroughly. Get it checked by a lawyer you trust and who isn't associated with my company."

x XX JW XX x

A few hours later he had a file in his inbox that was dozens of pages long and, while in English, still not in a language he really spoke or understood.

Legalese.

It was a nightmare, though he understood the basic idea, and it had him feel elated and shocked in one. Add a little terrified and it described his mood for two days before he dared to call Alan Grant.

While Grady wasn't fluent in legal speak, it was his luck that Alan knew someone he could trust.

So Owen sent the draft to Alan, who gave it to his friend.

It was a matter of three days and he got a green light. Things looked completely legal and all in his favor. The lawyer had read and approved the safety of the contract. No traps, no hidden clauses, no loops.

"I got the house and the kids," he joked when Alan called.

"I know it might sound awkward, but congratulations." Grant smiled. "As far as I understood Mike, you did. And more. A lot more. This is big, Owen. Very, very big. Masrani is actually signing over ownership of four animals his company owns and who could be worth millions."

He knew that. It was something mind-boggling.

"The pack is mine. All four of them are under my protection, in my care, are my responsibility. No one can take them away from me."

It sounded fantastic.

Alan nodded. "And you got a safe place to live. You have the house, though not the land."

"The island was leased from the Costa Rican government," Owen reminded him. "But they can't evict me from my house."

'They' being Masrani Global or any incarnation of that company, a possible merger company or anyone who might one day buy Masrani Global. Should Simon Masrani step down as CEO, Owen had an iron-wrought contract that the raptors couldn't be taken from him, nor could anyone move him from the island. Should the island fall back to Costa Rica because the lease wasn't picked up again, Owen would still be a recognized inhabitant. He would have the option to move somewhere else, though.

Including the pack.

He didn't think it would come to that. Even if Jurassic World would really close down one day, the whole island was a sanctuary for dinosaurs, and together with Isla Sorna it was a haven for scientists.

He and his girls were safe here.

For the rest of their lives.

_In the event of the death of Owen Grady, the velociraptor pack he was alpha of will pass to his chosen beneficiary._

The wording had been selected to even include a possible future growth of his pack, should Owen ever think about adopting new members.

Not that he had any plans.

He still needed a beneficiary. There would never be a new human alpha, but he needed a legal guardian.

Owen would have to think about that.

x XX JW XX x

He talked about it with the pack, of course. Blue had been aware of their alpha's worries about their safety should he no longer be around. She had watched him, had been closer, had hovered, but Owen hadn't touched the subject until the contract had been approved.

They wouldn't accept a new human alpha; there was no doubt there. Blue would take over. It wasn't negotiable.

"Got it in writing now," Owen told her as he sat on a boulder, watching the pack train stealth hunting in the tall grass. "This will be yours then."

The restricted area. Owen's responsibility and the pack's play ground. It would be where they would be moved and set free.

Blue tilted her head. She wasn't happy about those kinds of thoughts. Owen understood because he didn't like thinking about these scenarios either, but it had to be done. He had signed the contract. Legally everything was fool proof.

"This is for you," he said softly. "As well as for my peace of mind."

She nuzzled against his knee and he smiled, petting her nose.

"We're provided for. Should Masrani hand over control to someone else, or even if his Board decides to go over his head, nothing can touch us."

_Independence._

He nodded. "Independence. Freedom. I am their employee. I answer to Claire and to the CEO. But out here, this is us. Just us."

Blue's nostrils widened, inhaling the scent of the jungle, the plains, everything. Out in the grass the pack had started to come back, drawn to their alpha, their minds like a tight circle around his own. His four personal guards. His sentinels.

They grouped around him, soft grunts and quizzical noises. He let them touch his mind through the bond, reassuring them, getting their reassurance in turn.

The pack would never accept anyone but him. He was their alpha. Anyone else was simply a human they wouldn't attack as long as they didn't try to hurt the pack. Owen's word was law.

"This is yours. Ours," he said and looked at the rise of the jungle-covered mountains.

_Wherever you are, we are. Here. Home._

Owen smiled.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

For the next weeks, Owen took more and more time off to experiment with his growing perception of the other park residents. The pack wasn't thrilled, but they were reassured again and again that he didn't want a bigger pack or a new connection to another dinosaur.

He needed to work with this growing ability.

Blue even encouraged it, especially shielding himself from sudden intrusions. Contact with other dinosaurs wasn't encouraged; she wanted their alpha safe, not overwhelmed. Blue was his anchor and together with the pack she was his safety net and back-up shield. They wouldn't let him become adrift in the sea of different minds.

The t-rex and the mosasaurus were the strongest among the minds he frequently touched. He never got any form of communication from them. The pack wasn't telepathic either, but the pack bond made it possible for Owen's brain to interpret the sensations he got into something like words. With Blue it was perfectly fluent. The others he understood, but in a different way.

"The alpha-beta bond is different, hm?" he mused as he sat on the porch, watching the sunset.

Blue agreed. She had been the first and she would always be different.

x XX JW XX x

He spent the next morning watching Nancy work with the mosa, calling her, sending her on a round toward the stands and turning on her side, then rise up to grab the shark. The shark was nothing but a snack and only for show purposes.

"You're getting good," Owen remarked when Nancy was done, using a whistle to tell her charge that the show was over.

The mosa lazily swam around the lagoon, diving, then coming near the surface again.

"She's responding," Nancy answered, picking up her gear.

They were heading toward the tunnels where the visitors would be able to view the large animals in her full size and beauty. Owen followed, carrying two cups of coffee. One was a latte with an extra shot of caramel syrup for Nancy, who took it gratefully. His own was a simple black. No milk, no sugar. He liked it like that.

"I keep stopping before I get to close, but I think she understands. She recognizes me. She knows it's me, not you." Nancy raised her brows.

Owen mimicked it. "Me?"

"You're training yourself, right?"

He shrugged. "It's weird to get echoes of others, not just the pack. And it could be dangerous. I want to be sure to steer clear of not-pack animals."

"Good plan. Is it working?"

"So far? Yeah."

They were by now walking past the gigantic glass screens that allowed a view into the lagoon and the mosa was swimming alongside, brushing along the transparent barrier as if to show Nancy she was close.

Owen smiled.

Nancy just sighed. "Don't. She's not pack, we're not connected. She simply responds better and she is playful. I wouldn't touch her with a ten foot pole, though."

When they arrived in the tunnel of the underwater observatory where visitors seemed to walk through the mosasaurus kingdom, Nancy stopped and smiled when her charge passed over them, the rumble audible in the otherwise silent room.

"She likes you," Owen commented, catching something along those lines in the back of his mind.

"She's talking to you?"

"No. It's a sensation. And they can't talk."

"The pack does."

"I catch their thoughts and my mind translates it into a language I understand. They don't talk like we think of talking," Owen clarified. "I have a translator in my head that takes what I sense and makes it into something like words."

"Ah." Nancy nodded. "All I get are something like emotions. Not really like mine. It's hunger or happiness. Or eagerness. It's enough. I'm not sure I want to hear a voice in my head."

"Not a voice. A sensation and the knowledge what was said."

"Still not what I want." She smiled apologetically. "Sorry. Not my kind of thing."

Owen shrugged. It was normal for him and he couldn't imagine living without what it felt like now. It was part of him, something that had always been there, his potential, and the raptors had opened a box in his mind that he hadn't had the key to before.

The mosasaur's whine-rumble-squeak echoed around them and Nancy looked up, smiling at the pale belly above them. The mosa was swimming lazily, no faster than they were walking, and Owen caught her intention to swim out into the depth of the lagoon later to explore.

"You got plans?" Nancy asked.

"Nope."

"Lunch?"

"Where to?"

"Mexican?"

"Sunrio is open?"

"They opened yesterday and a few of us already tried it. They're just as good as a year ago. And very eager for guests."

Owen shrugged. "Okay, Mexican it is. You're buying."

Nancy laughed. Employees who had stayed on in the shut-down park had meals for free and only had to pay for alcoholic drinks themselves. Masrani Global was footing all bills.

A lot more people would arrive two weeks before opening, filling the empty ranks of workers, technicians, mechanics, cleaning personnel, park staff, guides and more. It would be something all of them would have to get used to again. The island had been close to deserted when it came to people and soon it would be swarming with tourists and park employees.

Sometimes Owen was glad he lived outside the theme world. He wasn't a hermit, but he didn't enjoy weaving through throngs of people and watching out for kids running around everywhere.

They ran into Reggie and Dr. Fiona McKellan. She was a biologist and herbologists, working in the botanical gardens and bamboo forest. Owen had seen her a few times already. She declined a lunch invitation, though Reggie was all for it, and in the end they found that they weren't the only ones to rediscover Mexican food. A whole group was already seated at various tables, waving and calling hellos.

Owen and Nancy chose a window seat, talking about the mosa, the pack, whatever else came to mind. They had a large, mixed platter for two, with burritos, enchiladas, tacos and dips. Nancy made a happy noise when the waitress brought over guacamole.

"To die for!" he told him.

It was a pleasant meal. It reminded him that despite everything, he, Owen Grady, was still a human being with human needs. He wasn't a raptor and never would be, like Blue, Charlie, Delta and Echo would always be raptors and not humans.

x XX JW XX x

Owen came back to the raptor paddock late in the afternoon. Mentally going over his To Do list he decided to finish painting the house. Tomorrow he had planned to check on the restricted area, which meant the pack would have a good day out on their own, do their own patrolling.

Picking up his tools he started on finishing the house.

tbc...


	26. Chapter 26

Owen had had the pleasure of getting to know their new security chief early on in the effort to reopen the park. They needed a new man in charge and InGen hadn't ignored the matter.

With the return of Claire, Dan Carter had come as well. In the beginning he had been a name, a shadow, because Owen wasn't high on anyone's security list when it came to Jurassic World.

He was number one when it came to the whole island. Because of the pack.

It was inevitable that the two men had to meet one day.

Carter wasn't a carbon copy of the late Vic Hoskins, but he shared Hoskins' distrust in the raptors. He knew they were fast, lethal, with killer instincts, and highly intelligent.

But unlike Hoskins he gave the pack a chance.

Team meetings where he was in attendance were pleasant, professional, and he never outright called Owen or the pack a threat. He had security concerns when it came to the park, to the animal enclosures, the gyrospheres, the gondola, the monorail.

Valid security concerns.

Everything needed to be checked and rechecked.

Claire complied with his demands. She cooperated and the park was growing into a save, family-friendly theme world again. Everything had been updated and upgraded.

Carter rarely stuck around after business had been taken care of. He had never sought him out.

Until much later.

Carter had decided to spend a day with Owen, getting to know the man who was alpha to a pack of velociraptors. He would make his own picture of how dangerous they were, how much Owen could be trusted to handle the four raptors.

The new security chief knew the truth behind the catastrophic events from a year ago and he knew what role Owen had played. He understood that the public knew one thing, but the real story was another.

It had gotten Owen a nod of respect and acknowledgement.

Carter was also in the know when it came to preternatural talents. A friend of his was talented and worked at a wildlife preserve. As chief of security it was also vital to understand that Owen Grady wasn't just a maniac or some idiot with a misunderstood perception of what a velociraptor was and could do.

The man was tall, broad-shouldered, built like a brick, all muscle, but fast on his feet with reflexes that spoke of his military training. Where Owen had been a Military Dog Handler, Carter had been Special Forces. He sported a crew cut, his eyes tracked everything, sharp and quick on the uptake, and he was in control.

There was a mutual acceptance, but trust wasn't easily gained when it came to raptors and outsiders looking in. Grady could accept that in turn.

The troopers knew Owen. Most of those who had survived the i-rex had come back. Only a few had either quit or asked for another assignment.

"I know the file," Carter told him. "Ms. Dearing told me even more. I respect what you did and I realize the part the pack played in it."

"But?" Owen probed, because there was a But. A big one.

"They're animals. Intelligent, but animals. That's what I see in them. Not people. I don't think they can change from what they are, except when their alpha is concerned. That's where we stand here. You they will follow. Everyone else? Possible attack potential."

"The pack knows not to attack anyone at the theme park of anywhere else on the island. Even possible intruders are only watched and their presence reported back to me."

Carter raised an eyebrow. "You trained them that well?"

Owen met the sharp blue eyes. "I am the alpha. They wouldn't attack you unless you attacked me physically or tried to kill them."

The intensity in the gaze rose. "Raising my voice, yelling at you, maybe shoving you…?"

"Growls, warning snarls, maybe a bark. No attack."

"Interesting."

And then it was showtime.

Not that Owen made a show out of it in any way. He walked into the enclosure like he always did: calm and assertive. He had never changed his approach, even with the growing understanding of his pack and deepening bond to each of them.

He was alpha.

He was the leader.

He would never show submission and the pack knew it.

Owen's mind reached for the pack as he whistled for their attention.

Blue's turned her head to look at him, then past him at the watcher. Her fingers flexed and she shifted her weight a little. The tail twitched, but she wasn't preparing for an attack.

_He is new._

"Eyes on me, girls," Owen said, palms up and out. _And yes, he is the new chief of security. Like Hoskins._

Blue snorted, still watching Carter. The man was tense, hand hovering over his weapon.

Not that he could do much should any of the four attack their alpha. It would be over too fast.

_He distrusted us._

The pack had never liked Hoskins, and Hoskins had never liked the pack. He had come to understand the dynamics in the end, had realized how much there was to the pack bond, and how integrated Owen was as the alpha. Not just a human trainer who could be so easily killed.

Too bad it had been mere hours later that he had died at the claws of the i-rex.

"Let's show our new Chief what perfect ladies you are," Owen said with a smile.

Blue chuffed as she pushed her nose against his palm and Owen cupped her jaw.

Delta yipped and looked at their visitor. Her nostrils blew wide, taking in his scent. Carter was growing more and more nervous, tense, ready to shoot.

Owen turned and looked at the man, frowning. "No guns," he said, voice even. "You pull a weapon, you leave."

The tension was now quite visible, especially in the thinning lips. Carter eyes narrowed and he nodded at the raptors who had fanned out behind Owen like an honor guard. Blue stepped beside Owen, shoulder-to-shoulder, clearly positioning herself as the beta. She rumbled a little.

He placed a calming hand on her neck and patted it. "Behave. And now, the usual. Line up, ladies! Time for the muzzles."

Echo whuffled, shaking her head in disgust. She was always the most vocal when it came to the muzzles and she always would be. The harness? Yes. The saddle bags? She was all for it. She would do just about anything but wear the muzzle if she could help it.

But there was no way around it.

Ten minutes later the pack milled around, wearing the hated muzzles. They were all excited to get out, ignoring the straps around their snouts. Charlie scratched her jaw with one sharp talon, snorting.

"They could easily remove them with their claws," Carter remarked.

"Told your predecessor the same, but he insisted that they wear them." Owen shrugged. "So they wear them."

"And you didn't get your hands bitten off."

Grady smiled brightly. "Nope." He wriggled his fingers. Then the humor vanished. "It's not about control. It's about respect. Their respect for me, my respect for them."

They stood behind him, tall and proud. Carter watched them, lips pursed. "You could easily lose that, Grady."

"Doubtful."

Blue agreed strongly.

"Because it's a permanent bond. Your life connected to theirs?"

"They wouldn't have been able to relate to me otherwise."

Carter still looked at them, visible ill at ease at the way Blue was regarding him with such singular attention.

"She understands," he murmured.

"Yes." No lies. People at the park knew.

"Near-human intelligence?"

Owen didn't answer that and the other man blew out a breath. His hand slid away from his gun, but the tension was still there. He would react with force if the pack so much as twitched the wrong way.

"Understood."

"I'm taking them to the Valley for training. Meet you there?"

"I'll follow you."

Okay. Owen didn't argue.

_We can easily lose him_, Blue decided, teasing.

"Play nice," he murmured as he walked past the beta. "We want the guy on our side."

They left the compound, the pack egging Owen on to run, to work the energy off, and he finally let them. One sharp gesture and sanctioning the run through the connection.

They were off.

Owen followed with Carter in tow.

"You trust them to go where you told them?"

"Yeah."

"They never run off?"

Owen shot him a look. "Why would they? It's training. They get to run, to chase. My word, my rule."

"Alpha."

"Yep."

"You direct them with whistles and hand gestures?"

"Mostly."

Carter was silent, looking at him, then he understood. "The bond. You tell them through the bond? Well, fuck. That runs deeper than I thought it could."

"It's… an evolving connection."

The chief of security laughed wryly. "You don't say. Damnit, Grady!"

Blue barked and he flinched a little, attention immediately on the raptors, hand on his gun.

"Relax, Carter," Owen said, stepping slightly in front of the man and between him and the pack.

She was getting restless. They wanted to get on with the training, wanted to chase some gallimimus and herd them to wherever Owen wanted them to run.

"Pushy," Carter remarked.

"They've been cooped up for a few days. They need to work off their energy, get exercise, even for their brains."

So he sent them off.

With clear orders.

Check on the herd. Find any sick or injured animals. Separate them from the group and run them back to the small paddock that was out of the way and couldn't be seen by tourists. The gallimimus keepers would decide what to do next, whether the animals in questions could be saved or had to be put down.

Those would be raptor prey.

"They don't kill them," Dan murmured, watching it all through binoculars. "And they do this without you guiding them."

"They've done this a hundred times before already. The pack knows what to do and I keep an eye on matters in case I'm needed. They know the selection process."

"Like sheep dogs?"

"You still have to tell a sheep dog where to take the herd. You guide it. The pack doesn't need that any more. They have their duties and they handle the herds according to my orders."

"You trust them." It wasn't even a question.

"I do. I trust the pack and I trust the beta of the pack to handle the others in my absence. Blue keeps an eye on the others and she would intervene if one gets out of line."

"You turn your back to them."

Owen raised his eyebrows. "After everything you've heard, read and seen…? Really?"

"Point. Seeing it for real is… rather disturbing." Carter's expression was a mixture of awe and terror. "The t-rex is one big dinosaur and it's fast. It's deadly. You can respect that. The raptors are… something else. Their intelligence, their cunning, the way they understand… And you are in the middle. Human."

Owen was silent, waiting.

"Aside from the herbivores, hardly anyone gets this close," their security chief went on. "And I've watched and talked to the handlers. They don't pet their triceratopes either. Your contact is casual. You don't even think about the danger any more."

"No," Owen said calmly. "Not in the way you do. I know they could hurt me. I'm quite aware of that danger, that I could get killed. I've been in such situations. I'm still alive."

"Because you have a strong beta?"

He nodded.

Carter thought about it, then went back to watching the pack work.

They returned a few hours later, the pack pleasantly tired and very pleased with themselves. They rumbled and yipped amongst themselves. Echo was almost bouncy and Delta snapped at her, annoyed at so much left-over energy. Charlie just shouldered into her, growling, and Echo playfully pushed back.

Blue watched them, not yet intervening.

Owen whistled and got their attention. They stood still, letting him take off the muzzles again, then waited until he dismissed them.

Blue stayed. She turned her head, focusing on their visitor again.

"What's up with her?" Carter asked, visibly disconcerted by the singular attention.

Owen let his beta brush against him, showing her possessive side. It wasn't dominance, just a way of marking what was hers and not someone else's.

"She's not ready to trust you, Mr. Carter. It's her way to protect me in case you represent danger."

Carter looked at Blue.

Blue looked back.

"The i-rex communicated with them," he remarked. "She turned them against you."

"She tried to. She pushed her will against theirs. Nothing of that is left."

Blue growled as those memories came back. Her lips rose from sharp teeth and Carter tensed.

"The i-rex pushed her will against a lot of dinosaurs. She pushed her will against me. She wanted to kill me."

Blue snarled more, old anger rising. Owen reached for her, physically and mentally. The pack got a little tense now, moving restlessly. Echo whined. Charlie barked.

"It's the past. It wouldn't happen again. The bond is unbreakable, Mr. Carter. There will never be another i-rex, or anything like her."

Blue growled her agreement.

Owen gave her a last pat, then left the paddock, locking the gates. Carter's eyes were still on the raptors.

Blue hadn't moved, standing proud and tall. Her nostrils blew wide and she rumbled continuously. Her tail twitched a little.

Owen nodded at the house. "Soda?"

After a long moment of meeting the beta's eyes, Carter turned away and looked at their alpha. He accepted with a nod. It came as a surprise, but in a way it was a first step after a day of watching, waiting, making mental notes.

He stayed until sunset.

Both men talked a little, but the silence between them wasn't heavy or uncomfortable. Carter was working through it, analyzed what it meant.

Now and then he asked pointed questions.

It would need time.

Owen would gladly give it to him.

It was the beginning of a solid work relationship built on acknowledgement, respect and a common background.

tbc...


	27. Chapter 27

Dan Carter was the man Owen turned to when he was done with mapping the restricted area. Working with the old Jurassic Park map, coupled with the topographic maps, he had updated the area as much as possible. Access to the necessary software had helped.

Dan gave the whole thing a once-over. "Professional," he remarked.

"And necessary. The restricted area is my responsibility."

The chief of security nodded. "So what can I do for you?"

"It's a big place and not under park surveillance."

"Yeah."

"I talked to Claire about getting surveillance to a degree. Access for me only. With emergency access for the chief of security."

Dan raised his eyebrows. "I see."

"I don't want anyone watching me and the pack 24/7, but I want to be able to set alarms should something happen."

"Like?"

"Illegal landings. Dinosaurs who shouldn't be there. And so on."

"You expect there to be rogue dinosaurs?"

Owen rolled his eyes. "No. But I like preparedness."

Carter chuckled. "Yeah, I can understand that. So you need me and my guys to set up cameras and wire them together?"

"I need you to get me the hardware and hopefully a crash course in installing it. I can do the rest myself. You have enough on your plate already. Jurassic World will open soon."

Carter gave him a long, hard look, then nodded. "Alright. Give me the numbers you need. I'll set you up with the hardware and see who from my guys can handle the software when you're done. You'll need to calibrate the cameras and sensors while you set them up."

"Thanks." Owen nodded at the fridge. "Soda?"

He knew not to try offering a beer. Dan never drank on the job. At all.

Dan checked his watch. "Sure." He accepted a lemonade and settled back, eyes on the raptor paddock not far away. "Tell me about the i-rex."

Owen played with his own soda. "What do you want to know?"

"I have the basics. Just facts. I know what they created, I understand they misjudged the whole situation. Tell me about the raptors and the i-rex. What happened between them."

He chewed his lower lip. "Wu, Keller, Claire… they underestimate their creation. Not just the intelligence of the indominus rex. Not just her speed and size and learning capabilities. I mean, she ate her sibling. She displayed an intelligence far beyond those dinosaurs they had taken the DNA from. She had actually planned her break-out!"

This was a huge leap of trust on Owen's part. He thought Carter had good instincts when it came to people and Dan wasn't Vic. He was more open. He asked questions, he made up his own mind.

So he told him about the plans to give the i-rex a trainer: him. A very talented preternatural who had already proven he was capable to bond dangerous predators to himself. Someone with a very receptive mind. Wu and Keller had had Owen in mind when the i-rex had been bred in their test tubes.

He told him about the influence the i-rex had tried to exude, about her hatred of Owen's perceived power over her. How she had tried to turn the pack against him, managing to influence Echo to such a degree that she had attacked her alpha.

It had been intense.

It had been almost fatal.

Owen had suffered debilitating headaches, almost migraines, because of the i-rex searching for him like a submarine pinging for the enemy underwater.

The i-rex had been taken down in the end, but the price they had all paid had been immense.

Carter listened silently, not interrupting, but his eyes narrowed sometimes, his lips thinning, and then his features shifted back to neutrality again. When Owen stopped, he silently drank from his bottle.

"Fucked up situation."

Grady chuckled. "You could say that. She was insanely powerful. She was intense. She killed for sport, for fun. She was a sociopathic creature with the speed, the muscle and the brain she needed. And the claws and teeth. She understood humans, understood technology, had a grasp on matters like nothing that had ever been born until then."

"Aside from your pack?"

"Nothing like my pack," Owen said sharply.

Carter gave him a mild look, with raised eyebrows to boot.

Owen scowled. "Don't compare them to this psychopathic hybrid, Carter. They went up against her and nearly lost."

Carter grunted.

Owen rubbed his temple. "It was a fucked up situation. The i-rex died. She left so many scars, so much death. And a lot of distrust."

"Yeah, I noticed. Not just physical scars either."

"Nope. We lost a lot of good people back then and a lot more over the next days and months."

Dan fell silent, then emptied his drink. "When will you be in the restricted area again?"

Owen shrugged. "Maybe tomorrow? Why?"

"Show me where you plan to set up the cameras and sensors. I'll give you an idea whether it works or not. And I can get to know unknown territory."

"You've never been there?"

It got him a half-smile. "I've got work up to the wazoo, Grady. Getting the park running on the security front is a nightmare. I get to take a day off now and then. I think hiking around the former Jurassic Park is a good way to spend that day."

"And to scout around what might be a trouble magnet?"

"Your words."

"You know going to the restricted area involves the pack, too." He made it only half a question.

Carter nodded.

"Just so we're clear."

"We are."

"Then how about you drop by tomorrow around seven? We should get an early start."

"Seven it is."

Seven it was.

Carter was there, wearing full gear, armed to the teeth. He was towing a trailer with a motorbike on it. Custom InGen, Owen thought. It was an all-terrain bike, heavy duty, and had probably cost more than Owen's two bikes and his jeep thrown together.

The pack was already primed and ready. Blue shot the new-arrival an impatient look. She made soft huffing noises.

Carter twitched a semi-smile. "Don't tell me she knows the clock."

"She knows you're making us late," Owen answered easily as he grabbed the harness for Echo, who was almost bouncing on her toes.

"Echo, stand down," he ordered. "You're bouncing around like some over-caffeinated flummy!"

She whined, jaws opening and closing, but she tried to pull herself together. Allan stood next to his bike, almost holding his breath as Owen opened the door and gestured at Echo to come over to him.

None of the raptors left the now open paddock area.

The gate was wide, wide open.

Blue was watching as Owen calmly and with sure moves strapped the harness onto Echo, testing how much give it had. He stood back and Echo craned her neck, inspecting the harness with a pleased expression.

Owen nodded, then whistled at Charlie to get her camera gear, too. He was trying out a new harness, one that was attached to the head with flat, light straps. The cameras were tiny and shouldn't hinder Charlie. She whuffled softly, looking at the harness with curiosity.

"Goes onto you head, girl. Any problems, it'll come off."

She accepted the device with grace and just a little discomfort for a moment, but since it didn't impede her movements or her jaws, she ignored it.

Owen walked out the gate to his bike. He looked at Carter, who was staring again.

"Fuck," the man breathed.

Owen kick-started his bike and put on his helmet. "Ready?"

"After you."

He grinned and gestured at the pack to get going. Beta trotted out the open gate, followed by the others. She glanced at Carter, then just followed Owen on the bike, a lithe, lethal shadow easily matching his speed. The others fanned out behind them and Carter brought up the rear.

It was an informative trip, especially for Carter, who watched the interaction of alpha, beta and the pack. He gave Owen a few ideas what to do about the camera and sensor placement . They marked the locations, tested reception, and so on.

Yes, it was informative for Owen, but also for Dan.

"The interaction is interesting," he remarked when they had stopped for a bite to eat.

Both men had packed sandwiches and bottled water. Owen had chosen a favorite spot that gave him a good view of the surrounding area without placing him right out in the open.

Raptor behavior, some might call it. He simply called it sensible behavior in an area where he was by himself, where he needed to be alert, even if there were no big dinosaurs.

The pack had disappeared in the jungle again, doing whatever they wanted. Owen didn't check. If he called, they would be there.

"Pack behavior," he now only commented.

"Not typical."

Owen didn't comment, just took a bite of his sandwich.

"Impressive," Carter only said. "Freaking me out, but impressive. Still I won't trust those raptors not to eat me if they have a chance."

Owen gave him a wry smile. "I feed them. They're not running around ravenously. Don't attack them and they won't attack you."

"Good to know. About the feeding."

Echo slid out of the thick foliage not far away, calling excitedly. Carter almost grabbed his rifle, which was leaning against his leg, but he held back.

"She finally caught a monkey," Owen translated with a laugh. "First time. She's a little excited."

"Uh-huh."

Echo rumbled, so very pleased with herself. Her tail swished, showing the excitement.

Blue stepped out of the jungle, shooting the lower-ranked raptor a look, but it didn't dampen Echo's mood. She had been chasing monkeys for months on end, never able to get them, but this time she had. Not a young, inexperienced monkey; no, it had been an old, experienced male. She had stalked him for a while now, learning his pattern, and today she had made the kill.

Owen had to say he was proud. It showed how fast they learned, how they planned, how they were capable of strategy.

Blue glanced at Carter, who had tensed again, fingers against the rifle; an instinctive reaction.

Owen signed at them to go, play a little or hunt some more.

_Follow us when we head back_, he told his beta.

_We will_, was the solemn confirmation. 

He got better with shielding himself from the invasion of non-pack dinosaurs. The pack eased up on their possessive jealousy when it came to their alpha's training.

Owen had early on discovered that the t-rex was as intelligent as the keepers had always suspected, though far from a human intelligence. She was quite aware of Josh and Laurel as her keepers, but she didn't see them as anything but possible prey if they so much as stumbled.

She didn't want to connect in any way with the talented preternaturals, which was just fine with Josh. He didn't want to end up like Owen, he had once told Grady. No offense.

Owen understood him completely. He was unique in a way. And he hadn't planned in it either.

The apatosaurs liked their preternatural keeper and Reggie loved all his herbivore herds. The stegosaurs were mostly content with themselves, the triceratopes mingled. None of those were inclined to let a human get on their backs, but the apatosaurs had no trouble with the little tricks Reggie had taught them.

The herd was back to full strength after the i-rex had decimated them in her sport hunting spree. The young apatorsaurs were tiny compared to the adults, but they were already used to the gyrospheres and usually stayed back when they rolled too close.

Two new trainers had arrived, both to handle the growing pteranodon group. The winged dinosaurs were still young, making their first attempts to flap their wings and get into the air, but they were babies. There were seven of them and just as many dimorphodon.

Their minds were like birds: quick, darting around, never lingering much on anything but their next meal, sleep or the best spot in their nests.

Owen had visited all attractions, all enclosures, all paddocks. He had been a frequent visitor to the hatchery. New eggs were developing, but no velociraptors. It was a standing order. No t-rex, no raptors.

And three more weeks till reopening day.

Claire had only once asked him if he would consider special visitor groups to view the raptors, but he had declined for now. He wouldn't do shows and he wouldn't let anyone wander around. Visiting scientists, yes. Interns, sure. Anyone but paying tourists or special guests who wanted a thrill.

She had nodded her acceptance.

tbc...


	28. Chapter 28

Setting up two dozen sensors and cameras was a lot more work than Owen had initially estimated. He knew the restricted area like the back of his hand, but some parts within were hard to access by bike.

It meant hiking.

Climbing.

Sliding around and coming away bruised and with scratches.

The pack was having fun, exploring the jungle, patrolling their territory, leaving fresh marks, and chasing small animals.

Owen let them be. They were happy. That was all that counted. None of them were inclined to crawl around the mountains or cliffs to install cameras, and they watched their alpha with amusement and teasing barks.

"You laugh," Owen had told them, looking like he had taken a mud bath at the end of the day. "This is helpful for all of us."

Echo had carried his camping gear to the site he had chosen as his base and he had set up his heavy duty tent, cooking gear and sleeping bag. It was where he returned each evening, looking like he had gone ten rounds with a thorn bush.

On the morning of day two he checked the weather updates. A storm front was approaching and there had been forecasts of heavy winds and rain. It would probably brush by the island, leaving them with a little wind and a lot of rain. Right now it was still just a tropical depression, but it was already getting stronger and would hit 'storm' soon.

He had no trouble sitting that one out for a day. Owen wasn't worried about the pack either. They usually hunkered down and waited.

By mid-morning the forecast had changed and there was a park-wide email informing everyone to expect stronger winds with the heavy rain. It was now a tropical storm.

That meant he might have to move base to find a better shelter or to even head home. Another option was to drive to the old visitor center.

x XX JW XX x

That became a more than likely option when he received the next alert: the storm was now classified as a category 1 cyclone. It would hit Isla Nublar within the next two hours.

Owen grabbed everything and packed up his camp site with calm, efficient moves.

He straightened and whistled loudly, sharply, three sharp trills.

It took the pack no more than ten minutes and Blue was the first, bursting out of the jungle and stopping next to him. Echo brought up the rear, already eyeing the gear with an expectant snuffle.

"Storm's getting worse. We're not safe here," he told them, gesturing Echo over.

She trotted to her alpha, all pride and business-like manner. This was her job. She did it well. She was the load carrier.

"Yep, you're it," Owen told her with a smile as he caught the emotions. "And the best at it."

Echo preened as she was strapped into the harness and the saddle bags loaded.

"Visitor center," Owen told them, pushing the command along the bond. "Forecast is we have about an hour before we get the first wisps of this."

They growled their agreement. Their senses were finely attuned, able to perceive the shift in pressure, and all four felt that something big was heading their way.

x XX JW XX x

The cyclone hit just before three in the afternoon, a lot faster than predicted. By now it was a category 2.

It didn't make landfall, just brushed along Isla Nublar, then headed for the mainland.

All work on the reopening of the park had been shut down, doors and windows secured, nothing left outside, and the animals were kept either inside or had had the sense to hunker down.

Lightning crackled across the sky, followed by deep, booming thunder.

x XX JW XX x

The roads had become treacherous, the rain soaking into the ground and turning it into a mudslide. Owen was used to such conditions, but he had never had to navigate through the jungle while a cyclone was about to hit them.

Damn weather system!

Blue, running not too far to his left, agreed. The storm had come together so suddenly, gaining such momentum, there had been hardly time to react. The animals had sensed it, the raptors, too, but they had stayed with their alpha, who had ignored primal instinct to go by human nature.

Owen called himself all kinds of names.

No, he wasn't an animal, but he had instincts and he had the pack, who were his guides out here. He had felt the prickle of alarm along his spine, but engrossed in his work as he had been, he had pushed it away.

Listen to your instincts, he told himself. Especially since you got a pack of four raptors wired directly into your brain.

Blue's soft chuff was through the bond only. She sounded like a school teacher who had had her moment with a hardheaded pupil.

Oh well…

Gusts of wind beat against the trees, bending them alarmingly, and Owen knew he had to hightail it out of here and somewhere safer.

There was a sudden explosion of white-hot pain in his face and left shoulder, then a moment of absolute disorientation before Owen registered that he had gone down hard.

Like in a dream he saw the bike slide off, away from him, then over a ledge and down a hill.

Fuck.

He could barely breathe, there was water, there was mud, there was thunder and lightning, and he wasn't even sure the lightning was real. His whole head seemed to be one big light show.

He cried out as he tried to move, the scream more a breathy cough than anything else.

He gritted his teeth.

It felt like someone had stuck a glowing hot nail into his shoulder, immobilizing his arm and hand. He was breathing raggedly through the wave of agony and he knew he was losing grip on everything.

This was even worse than getting thrown around by an i-rex.

Ah, hell, no. There was nothing worse. This was just as bad. He hadn't gone down to stay down back then, but he had hurt.

Then there was a familiar voice.

_We're here. Stay calm. You are save._

This time there was no mental attack, a presence pushing in and trying to take out his mind. This time… this time he was injured. Hurt.

He hurt.

The spikes of pain from his arm were drowning out everything else.

Broken. He had definitely broken something.

And his head… maybe not broken, but everything was weird and fuzzy, like he didn't belong where he was.

_Owen_, the voice soothed him and there was a soft touch against his uninjured cheek. _Open your eyes. We need you to open your eyes. _

He did.

It was hard and he wanted nothing more than to fall into unconsciousness, but the urgent push against his mind helped.

Rain fell in thick drops from the sky, obscuring his sight, which was curiously reddish.

Blood.

Oh. Blood in his eyes. Head wound. Damn.

He was on the ground, totally soaked and muddy. Blue was there, rumbling softly, almost purring. It was reassuring, calming him even more.

"W-what…"

_You are injured. You need help. We need you to help us get you this help. It's not safe here._

Owen groaned softly, trying to get up, but the pain in his arm was crippling. He yelled when he was suddenly pushed up and then there was a wall of muscle and scaly skin, leather straps under his fingers, and another hard push in his mind.

Grab the harness.

Hold on.

Huh, what?

He felt the prick of sharp claws, felt Blue's will against his own, telling him what to do. Making him.

_Owen, trust me. Let me. Please._

He shivered at the strong presence, survival instinct fighting instinctual knowledge that he was safe. The pack was making a team effort to get him to move through the pain, to do what needed to be done.

"…blue…" he groaned, voice barely even a whisper.

The pain was pulling him toward unconsciousness.

_Trust me._

_I do_, he answered. And he did.

So he gave in.

And he moved, the pain there but not there, not in his mind, and all four were keeping him with them.

There were sharp-taloned fingers, teeth gently biting into his clothes to keep him from falling, pushing and pulling and his cries of pain.

Underneath all of that was a rumble, a soul-deep hum, something that urged him on and told him he was safe, to trust them, that they wouldn't let him go. It was a declaration more intense, more intimate, than anything ever before.

Four presences, bright and strong and familiar. All aware that he was weak and dependent on them. All caring.

_We'll keep you safe._

x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x

It was Blue who decided that they couldn't get Owen anywhere close to his home in the current conditions and she led the pack to one of the old shelters that had partially started to crumble with time and nature takings their turns to beat against the concrete.

But it would do.

Owen was semi-coherent, his presence within the pack bond confused and flailing. She caught it, soothing him.

_Where?_ he asked.

_Shelter._

Echo had crouched down, and Delta and Charlie had managed to get the semi-responsive alpha settled between them.

A living, breathing wall of safety.

Blue could still smell the blood and it made her unhappy. Their alpha wasn't dying, but he had been hurt and it hurt them, too.

Echo went to the entrance, sharp eyes on the darkness outside. It wasn't truly night, but the clouds obscured the sky, made it dark, and the rain was bothersome.

Blue kept up her anchoring to Owen's mind and joined the lower-ranked raptor, humming. Echo understood and slipped into the murky world outside to run a brief perimeter patrol, then return.

They all needed rest.

x XX JW XX x

The pack moved on two hours later, Owen on Echo's back. He had been awake a few times, mostly coherent, though he had trouble seeing everything clearly.

The shivering had been due to the soaked clothes and probably the shock of his accident. Blue had learned a lot in her time, connected to a human alpha's mind, and she knew she had to get him to somewhere the others could treat him.

Their warmth helped, though. Owen was sandwiched between Echo and Blue, with Charlie and Delta keeping watch now.

A brief moment of rest only.

Then they had to go.

Blue surrounded him, held him again, buffering the pain together with Delta. Echo and Charlie were occupied with not letting Owen slide off Echo's back. His hands were wedged into the harness and he had huffed a laugh when he had understood what they had done.

Riding a raptor.

And then he was dozing off again as she kept him bopping near the surface of consciousness. He wouldn't slide into deep unconsciousness on her watch.

x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x x XX JW XX x

Claire Dearing was alerted to something other than the storm turning the world outside upside down by sharp barks that weren't canine. Or even from one of the many monkeys in the jungle.

She felt her hair stand on end and froze.

The barks came again, closer, urgent.

She rose, feet taking her over toward the window almost against her will.

She nearly screamed when the dark shape, blurred by the water on the window panes, loomed up before her. Still several feet away, but clearly not anything she wanted to see outside her window.

Velociraptor.

Owen's pack.

Owen!

The next bark seemed to reverberate through the glass, through her body.

Three more shapes appeared, one carrying…

"Oh my god, Owen!"

Claire's lungs constricted, air rushing out, and for a moment she almost panicked.

Owen, hanging over the back of one of the raptors, not moving, apparently unconscious. Hopefully unconscious. He was soaked and muddy, but she could see no blood. If he had bled from somewhere, the water had washed it away.

The raptor who had called her stepped back, tail swishing with agitation, the barking sounds returning. When nothing happened, she suddenly roared, like yelling at Claire to get a move on, dancing back and forth.

Claire was still frozen, breath coming in short gasps, mind flashing back to a time merely a year ago.

Another roar, this one angry, but the raptor didn't come closer or looked like she wanted to attack.

Something had happened to Owen.

They had brought him here. He was hurt. Unconscious.

They had brought him here!

It all ran through her head at lightspeed and part of Claire felt dizzy.

_They know where I live_, a tiny, frightened voice whispered over the din.

The one carrying Owen's limp form settled down and the one who had roared at her – Blue, it had to be Blue – went over and opened her jaws, teeth closing over the thick material of Owen's jacket. Claire watched with frightened awe as she pulled Owen down, trying to be careful, until the man lay sprawled on her lawn. She nosed at him, like trying to wake her alpha, but there wasn't a twitch.

One hand was still trapped in the leather harness, trapping the other raptor in turn. If she rose, Owen would dangle at her side.

With shaking hands Claire pulled out her cell and dialed the emergency line. The push of one button.

Her eyes were on the raptor pack, looking at the beta – who was meeting her eyes with a serenity no animal should possess. Claire felt herself slip into park manager mode.

She had survived the i-rex.

She could handle this.

_They have brought him here! To me!_

The raptors weren't faithful dogs. They weren't tame. This wasn't a Lassie moment. Still… the way Blue looked at her…

And then the line picked up. Barely two seconds had passed.

"Dan, it's Claire. We have a situation," she said when Dan Carter answered.

Voice steady and calm, like she was calling for an update on daily park matters. Not facing four lethal predators who had carried their obviously hurt alpha into her back yard.

She relayed what she was seeing to their security chief, told him about Owen, about the pack's calm nature.

No, Owen wasn't moving.

No, he didn't look mauled by sharp claws and teeth.

No, she wasn't threatened, but she felt fear.

Blue, still looking expectantly at her, seemed to understand what was happening. She blew her nostrils wide.

"We need a medical team."

"What about the raptors?" Carter asked, voice level and all business.

"I'm… not sure. They got him here. I can't tell you any more."

"I'll be prepared."

"Non-lethal, Carter. If you kill them…"

"I understand."

No one knew what would happen to Owen and the rest if one of the raptors died. Whenever Claire had felt her thoughts go that way she had immediately pushed it all away.

"Carter."

"I do understand, Ms. Dearing. Very much. We're on our way."

x XX JW XX x

Outside, Blue walked over to where Owen still lay motionlessly in the rain.

Claire almost held her breath as the beta of the pack uncurled her razor sharp talons and sliced through the leather harness. The other raptor shifted, then got up, but she didn't leave.

None of them left.

They had formed a living wall around their alpha.

tbc...


	29. Chapter 29

When Carter arrived with eight troopers in full combat gear and the medical emergency response team, barely ten minutes had passed.

It was still raining steadily, thick, fat drops, driven on by the gusts of wind.

Everyone was armed to the teeth, wearing helmets and body armor, and they fanned out to surround the compound like a well-oiled machine.

Claire had watched the raptors the whole time, like frozen to her spot behind the floor-to-ceiling windows, talking to her security chief. She was looking at Owen, trying to see if he was conscious, but he hadn't moved at all.

The pack stood over him, next to him, trying to shield him from the weather while they waited.

With the arrival of the troopers, the pack became more tense, nervous, hissing at the men and women in black. Rows of sharp teeth flashed, claws flexed, but none of the four made a move toward the troopers. They just shifted their positions to keep Owen in the middle while watching everyone with sharp eyes.

"What's your plan?" Carter wanted to know, voice even, calm and pure professional air.

"They're protecting him, Dan. That's all they do. I don't think they hurt him. They were the ones you brought him here."

Carter looked at the scene in front of him. The rain was still coming down, drenching everyone who was out in the open. He was in Claire's living room with her, talking to his team on the radio, while the medical team was standing by.

Blue was watching everything, alert, tense, but not threatening. Water ran off her nose, her back, her whole body. The others were a little more nervous, but they were standing their ground. One was hissing at the guns pointed at them, clearly threatening, but she wasn't ducking down for an attack.

It was a warning. Clear and simple.

It was also a Mexican standoff.

The tension would stay with neither going forth or retreating. This could go on for hours, but Owen might not have those hours. He was unconscious and hurt. He needed help.

Claire made a decision. She squared her shoulders and reached for the handle of the glass door leading into her garden.

"Ms. Dearing…"

"Do you want to shoot them, Mr. Carter?" she asked, words clipped.

"No."

"Do you have a different plan?"

Carter met the hard eyes. "Not yet. We could subdue them with narcotics."

"They would attack you before it gets them. Blue, Charlie, Delta and Echo aren't like the other park animals, Dan. They are highly intelligent. They made a conscious decision to bring Owen here. For a reason."

"You don't know that."

"I do. You've met Owen, right? You've seen him work with them?"

"Yes, but…"

She simply gave the man a hard look and Carter's lips thinned.

"Someone has to do something and I can't think of anyone else volunteering." She held up a hand when Carter wanted to say something. "And even if you did, Dan, it wouldn't work. Owen is their pack leader. I think I'm the best option while he's out."

"What about another preternatural?"

Claire shook her head. "I'm not risking that. It will be me."

He nodded once, though he looked far from happy.

"They so much as twitch the wrong way…"

"No lethal force. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Claire opened the door.

Blue's head swiveled to look at her.

Water was running in thick rivulets off her skin.

Her claws flexed a little.

Claire fought her flight reflex when those sharp eyes were on her, that singular focus unnerving. She pushed back the cold terror this evoked, her mind reminding her of the i-rex, of facing the hybrid she had helped create. The way she had been sized up and declared prey within a second the first time she had looked at the new creation.

This wasn't the same.

"Blue," Claire called out over the steady rushing sound of the rain.

The raptor tilted her head a little, then snorted water off her nose.

"He's safe. Owen is safe. Let us help him now."

She rumbled, tail swishing, and her gaze tracked the men and women of InGen Security surrounding them.

Claire held up her hands, palms out, copying Owen's gesture. "Stand down. Let them help. They'll let you retreat. Let us help your alpha. Please!"

She rumbled. One of the others hissed at the troopers, who had moved a little.

Claire hadn't approached any further. She was still not too far from the house, probably close enough to maybe make it back inside should the velociraptor in front of her decide to attack. The small roof that protected the terrace kept her mostly dry.

"Blue…" she coaxed. "Blue, you brought him to me. You know I called help for him, not to hurt you."

They had acted unlike animals up until moment, but now there was a new threat. They would have to give up control, would have to let others treat their helpless alpha, and the animal instinct broke through.

Owen chose that moment to move, fingers twitching over the wet grass. Blue's attention was suddenly on him and she took three steps back, bringing her right next to him.

Claire watched, adrenaline still racing through her, as something seemed to happen between alpha and beta, then Blue barked sharply.

She held up a hand as she caught one of the troopers moving. "No," she whispered, shaking her head. "Damnit, no!"

Blue snarled, but Owen's hand flailed, eyes barely open, his lips moving haltingly.

And then three of the raptors started to retreat, steps unsure but they were leaving.

"Let them go!" Claire shouted as guns rose and postures grew more tense. "Just let them go!"

Carter was suddenly at her side, talking into his radio, telling his men to stand down and let the pack leave. He had his rifle in hand, but he wasn't pointing the weapon at the pack.

Blue was still there, a steady rumble coming from deep within her chest, and she was almost standing over Owen, who was visibly clinging to consciousness. Her tail lashed out in agitation and the tension in her body was clear to see.

She would attack.

She would defend Owen.

"Blue, you can leave," Claire called out to the pack beta. "Take the pack and go. We'll take care of Owen. I promise!"

The cool eyes had her shiver. They reflected a human intelligence, an understanding that she hadn't even seen in the i-rex's eyes. The i-rex had been cunning and psychopathic. The raptors were different.

Blue snarled softly, like she promised pain should Owen not be treated right or one of the pack get shot, then she slowly retreated. One measured step at a time.

She disappeared in the murky darkness like a ghost.

Claire expelled a breath, feeling fine tremors run through her.

The medical team rushed past her, troopers surrounding them to make sure they were protected against a possible raptor attack. She could see Owen, barely conscious. Someone was yelling for an umbrella and the security team erected a quick protective cover.

"Damn," Carter said as he joined her. "That was more than intense."

She could only agree.

"Let's get you inside. You look frozen."

She was. Not just from the weather, which wasn't that cold. Claire felt the tremors more.

"Owen first," she decided and walked out into the rain, hearing Carter's exasperated sigh.

She walked over to the throng of people, soaked through within minutes, and looked at Grady, who was still clinging to consciousness with an effort. An IV had been pushed into one arm, his obviously broken arm wrapped in an air cast to secure it until he could be x-rayed, and his head wound had a pressure bandage on it.

Their eyes met; his were cloudy and pain-filled.

"Good work, Ms. Dearing," he whispered, voice rough, breathy.

She smiled shakily. "You raised good girls," she replied.

"Ma'am," one of the medics said and gently moved her aside.

Claire took her cue and stepped back. Carter was there and he led her back into her house, made her sit down. He wrapped a blanket around her shoulders.

"Drink this."

Claire looked at the mug of steaming tea, wondering who had made it, then that thought was chased away again.

"Breathe, Claire" Dan told her. "You were good out there. Really good. I'm impressed."

"Good under pressure," she said shakily.

He smiled tightly. "Job description?"

She felt her corners of her mouth twitch a little. "Probably." After facing a monster of her own design, looking into the coldly calculating eyes of a creature that knew what it wanted, the raptors had been, well, not easy, but easier than the i-rex.

Lights flashed outside, red and white, and the ambulance pulled away.

"You should get checked out, too, Ms. Dearing."

"I'm fine. Just a bit damp."

"Try sopping wet."

"I'm fine."

Carter didn't look convinced. "I'm leaving a security detail. Just in case."

Claire frowned. "Blue and the others won't come back, Mr. Carter. I'll be okay."

"Humor me."

And then Carter was gone.

Claire shook off her nerves and got up. She walked into her bedroom and changed into dry clothes, checked her phone for emails, then grabbed her raincoat.

Her eyes fell on the muddy ground outside her living room windows. There was hardly any grass left. Just mud. A large area of disturbed ground where humans and velociraptors had been.

Claire steadied herself, pushing back her nerves again.

When she opened the door to the outside she was greeted by two troopers.

"Ms. Dearing," one greeted her. His name tag said Martinez.

"I'm going to the hospital," she announced, voice hard and unyielding.

"We'll drive you," Martinez answered, not even arguing. He had probably been briefed by Carter.

Claire nodded sharply and followed the men to the black SUV.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

"You were lucky."

"I don't feel lucky."

Owen sat on the examination bed, trying to stop the world from spinning. He had woken about three hours ago, in the middle of the ER, people moving around him, and it had made him dizzy.

His heard hurt.

His left shoulder hurt.

All of him hurt; everywhere.

He felt like shit.

_Stay calm._

Blue was there, in his mind, like standing right next to him. She was balancing him, kept him coherent, but he knew that the moment she pulled back he would crash.

He wanted to go back to sleep.

_Not yet._

And he had no idea how he had gotten here. Everything was fragmented.

"This could have easily crippled or killed you."

Dr. Annika Svenson shook her head. She had come to Isla Nublar about four months ago, one of several doctors employed by Masrani Global who worked at the hospital on the island. She looked a little frazzled. That was probably due to the situation she had been called for.

Owen would have reassured her that everything was okay if he was in better shape.

Blue's presence enveloped him, soothing his mind, and he relaxed a little. Acceptance. Just accept that he had made it back in one piece.

"Can I go home now?" he asked.

"You've got to be kidding me, Grady! You broke your arm, you have a bruise the size of a melon on your shoulder, you wrenched that joint, and your face looks like someone took a shovel to it! You're staying the night for observation. At least!"

Owen knew all that. He had the cast to prove it and his arm was in a sling. It felt numb, like it wasn't his own limb. The deep laceration running from his forehead to his temple had been stitched. There was a bandage taped over it.

He just wanted to lay down and never get up again.

"I can sleep better at home," he murmured, sounding like a petulant child.

"You can sleep just fine here, Mr. Grady," Annika told him sternly.

_We'll be fine._

He sighed.

"Do as Dr. Svenson ordered."

He blinked owlishly at Claire, who had appeared in the room. His still concussed brain tried to make him focus on her, but she was blurry around the edges. Dressed in pristine white, looking calm and composed, Claire met his gaze levelly.

Still, even in his state, Owen saw that something had rattled her. He tried to make himself remember, but there was hardly a blip.

Damn, damn and double-damn again.

"You look like the worst kind of roadkill. Worse than after the incident."

Oh great.

"You need rest and we need to know you're okay. Will the pack stay out of sight?" she asked, voice business-like. And still not right. Owen made a note to dig deeper when he could hold more than a thought together.

"Yeah. Completely out of the way," he answered, getting Blue's confirmation.

"Good. Now get some sleep, Owen. We'll talk about what happened tomorrow. I have a park to clean up after the storm."

With that she was gone, like a ghost his imagination had made up.

He sighed and Svenson took that as her cue. She called a nurse, who manhandled him into a wheelchair, pushed him into a room, and then helped him to bed.

It was a nice room. With a view, even if there was nothing to see. The storm was still going on, but with less force, and it was raining. Trees bowed in the wind outside.

The pain medication they had doped him up with had Owen feel like he wasn't really there. He felt fuzzy, not from this world.

_Blue?_

_We're here. You'll be okay._

_Thanks_, he told her. _For everything._

_You protect us. We protect you._

And with that warmth spreading through him, Owen dropped off like a stone.

Outside it was still raining heavily. The sky was gray, the clouds thick and impenetrable, but the cyclone had been downgraded to a storm again.

tbc...


	30. Chapter 30

Claire wasn't really surprised when Dr. Annika Svenson knocked on her door. She nodded at the doctor to come in.

It was late, way past eight in the evening, and past normal office hours. Claire had busied herself with paperwork, with reports, with emails, but she couldn't shake the memory of the pack protecting their injured alpha, the way Blue had tried to communicate the urgency to Claire, and how they had all kept themselves in check and under tight control when faced with so much hostility.

It had been amazing.

It had terrified her.

She had gone out into the open and trusted her instincts, her knowledge of Owen Grady, and her hopes that even when he wasn't there to control the pack, they wouldn't hurt her.

"Claire," Annika said. "I know it's late…"

"No, it's okay. After today I've got a lot on my mind, too."

She nodded. "We all do. This was… I really have no words for it."

"No one has. Except maybe Mr. Carter and his words need to be censored. So, what can I do for you?"

"Owen Grady is talented, a preternatural." Svenson was getting right to the point. "I know there are several talented trainers working here, but it was pointed out to me several times before today that Mr. Grady is… different. Exceptional."

"He is."

"Seeing that he works with four very dangerous, well, lethal predators, he has to be. Or completely suicidal and insane."

Claire smiled thinly. "I think there have been speculations in that regard."

Annika opened her tablet and switched it on. "When Owen was brought in I performed all the necessary examinations. We suspected a traumatic brain injury. Standard procedure to check for TBI is a CT scan. Thankfully it was just a bad hit resulting in a concussion. He has a headache, but he'll be fine."

"Hard head."

Claire had seen what Owen had looked like after they had finally killed the i-rex; bruised, battered, bleeding, but he had been alive.

"Then I looked at the fMRI. I thought we had a bad reading, but I checked the machines and everything is running perfectly. So the readings are the real thing."

She pulled up an image of a human brain as seen through the functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Colorful patches of red, blue and yellow could be seen lighting up the brain map.

"Owen's brain activity is... different. Even for a preternatural. His neural activity is off the charts in some areas, and also happening in areas that there shouldn't be such activity."

Claire pursed her lips.

"It's nothing I've seen before in other preternaturals, especially ones who weren't shown images at the time of the fMRI. Studies aren't conducted like that. Usually you set up a specific environment and use triggers to get results. Owen was conscious at the time, yes, but we didn't trigger him. This is his brain as it is, Claire."

Svenson looked a little disturbed by the facts. Claire felt with her, but this was Owen. Owen was different.

"I was looking for anomalies and this practically jumped right at me. I have only suspicions to draw conclusions from."

"Suspicions?"

"He has connected… bonded himself to four raptors, Claire. He became the human alpha, he controls them, he is part of them. I know what that means. I know it shouldn't leave him as sane and functional as he is. It should mentally turn him into a raptor. Those few cases known to us where a preternaturally talented of such strength connected permanently to an animal brain ended badly. Very, very badly. He has been with them for years, Claire! Years! He should be a vegetable, animal instinct in a human body, following them instead of them following him. He didn't lose himself. He has become stronger, their alpha, and his brain shows it."

Svenson took a deep breath, looking at the tablet screen, then back at Claire.

"They were there, the raptors, in his brain, even while he was in the hospital. He can't shut them out and they can't shut him out. This is such intense activity, at such high levels, even when they aren't physically together. The pack couldn't see him and he couldn't see them, and still those areas light up like a Christmas tree. I can only imagine what it would look like when they are communicating. It would be ground-breaking in preternatural studies!"

"Owen isn't a test specimen," Claire said evenly, a warning in her voice.

Annika's eyes widened a little, then she shook her head. "I wasn't suggesting that."

"And he won't be monitored."

"When I was by Masrani Global to work at the Jurassic World hospital Mr. Masrani talked to me personally. He told me what to expect. He told me about the talented working at the theme park. Claire, I'm not going to publish my findings. My work goes through Mr. Masrani first. You and I know he protects his people. This is just something I thought you needed to know."

Claire studied the other woman, face cool and distant, not a muscle moving. Finally she nodded. "We knew he was connected deeply, Annika. I've seen him work. I've seen him communicate with his pack in a way that can't be explained. Their trust in him, his trust in them, is rooted in that bond. It's exceptional, but it's also something that can't be copied."

Annika agreed with a nod. "He's going to be okay. His injuries aren't life-threatening and the break was clean, not breaking the skin. He just needs to take it easy."

Claire's smile was a little thin. "Not something Owen Grady is known for. Thank you, Doctor, for telling me."

Another nod, then she left.

x XX JW XX x

Claire felt the tension in her body leave her, exhaustion setting in. Her mind was whirling with what Svenson had told her. It wasn't really something new. Claire had seen what Owen could do too many times to be surprised by Annika's words.

But Svenson was someone new, someone she had yet to really get to know outside meetings and her capacity of park operations manager. Claire felt protective of Owen and she disliked the idea that someone was studying his talent, his incredible preternatural potential.

Claire decided to talk to Simon about Dr. Annika Svenson.

When she left the office she found that Martinez was there again; her bodyguard.

She gave him a brief smile and a quizzical expression.

"Chief's orders," was all he said.

She didn't argue.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Owen was released the next day and driven home by Dan Carter himself. The man looked a bit more on edge than usual, his expression hard. He was decked out in full combat gear.

"What?" Owen asked as they headed away from the park after passing through the gates. Not the tourist gates; the huge back doors for the employees and the delivery drivers.

Carter glanced at him, eyes narrowed, a pinched look in his eyes. "You got no clue what happened, right?"

"Maybe a fifth of a clue," Owen confessed. "Or less. Probably less."

He made to rub his good hand over his head and encountered the bandage. With a grimace, Grady let the hand fall in his lap again. His headache was moderate at best, helped by the painkillers he was doped with, and Svenson had told him in no uncertain terms to keep to the schedule for the pills. Or else.

The pack hadn't been very clear as to what had happened after. Just that he had been in an accident. A rather heavy tree branch had clipped him as the tree it had been attached to had fallen under the force of the wind. He had crashed, the bike going down the hill, and then there had been little.

"In and out at most," he added. "Flashes. Why?"

Carter expelled a breath, driving at a moderate pace over the muddy ground. Light rain was tapping against the windscreen and Carter had switched on the wipers. Owen was thankful for the slow pace. While he was under a lot of pain meds, he still felt the bumps quite acutely.

"They got you home. Those raptors. They got you from wherever you were to Dearing's house."

Owen blinked, mind frantically searching for a clue that that was true. All he got were more shapeless flashes. He thought he remembered curling up against Delta… and there had been Charlie at his back, then sometimes Echo, and Blue had never left him through the pack bond.

He remembered safety.

_Blue?_ he called.

She was there. Even physically almost there. The pack was still out of the enclosure, patrolling, near-by, and watching.

Very close.

Owen's eyes were on the trees, but he saw not a hint of a claw or tail tip. The raptors wouldn't be raptors if there was a sign.

But they were there. Following the SUV, shadowing them.

_Fuck, girls! Get back home!_

Her amusement grew. They would be in the paddock, docile and like good little dinosaurs, before Carter arrived.

_Did you get me to Claire?_ he demanded.

_No other choice._

The other three echoed her words.

"Damn," Owen breathed.

Carter raised his eyebrows, glancing at him.

"I… there's a lot missing. A tree to the head isn't good for the brain."

"Definitely not. They're still running around, y'know," the chief of security added, sounding casual but being far from it.

"They're at home."

"My guys said they saw shapes. Never anything definite. No video feed to back it up either. They're definitely not at home, Grady."

Owen said nothing. Dan's lips thinned, hands clenching around the steering wheel.

"They carried you to Claire's, Owen. They stuck around. They're probably somewhere close."

There was no question there. Just facts. Owen let him talk without commenting.

"You should be dead."

"Thanks, Dan. Really. I appreciate the pep talk," he said wryly.

Carter grimaced. "Not like that. If that hadn't been you, you'd be dead. They're a velociraptor pack. Wild. Untamed. And your control as the alpha is… not really control, right? The alpha went down. They're predators with a strict hierarchy. Nothing I learned about them says they carry their injured alpha anywhere."

"You already spent time with me. And them. You know they're not just raptors."

"And then again they are."

"If Wu and Keller were still alive I'd say talk to them about what they cooked up, Carter. They're dead. All I can say is that those four are not the velociraptors you read about. Because of me. I told you before and I'll tell you again: there's a bond. There's an anchor. This works."

"I can see that."

The house came into view. As far as Owen could tell there was no storm damage. The cyclone had only touched the island, brushing past the coastal area, which had been where Owen had been hit. The paddock was closed, the gates shut, and there were four raptors standing on the other side, looking at the approaching SUV.

It looked like the most innocent scene, but Carter wasn't fooled. The pack hadn't been locked in by anyone. They had been running around until maybe a few minutes ago.

Carter just shot Owen a knowing look. Grady refused to be baited. He just got out of the car, feeling like an old man and hindered by the cast.

"Where's the bike?" Carter asked as he accompanied him to the house.

"Went down a hill. Probably a lost cause."

"Did you have your tracker with you?"

It was one demand Carter had had when Owen had gone off on his own to install the cameras.

"Yeah."

"I'll see what I can do about it."

"Thanks."

Though he suspected the bike was scrap metal. He had another one, but that had been his favorite.

Owen walked into his house, feeling some of his tension drain away. This was home. This was where he lived, where he felt safe.

Blue's presence increased, warm and protective. Yes, this was home. This was territory. This was pack.

"Get some rest, Grady. You'll need it," Carter said, glancing around.

Oh, he felt that. Not as badly as he would without the good stuff Svenson had told him to take. The painkillers were really good. But tomorrow he might feel it.

Carter walked over to the fridge, pulled open the door and looked inside. "Looks like you won't starve for today. Freezer's got some stuff, too. I'll let someone know to get you some groceries. Do those four need food?" he asked, all business.

"No, they'll be fine for a day."

And they could go out to hunt. He knew the gate wasn't locked, but they wouldn't try to get him into trouble.

"Don't want them to start gnawing on you," Carter added with a smirk.

"Har, har," Owen muttered.

"You can handle this with just one hand?"

Owen rolled his eyes. "I'm not a baby, Dan. I'll be fine. You can go and do whatever you have to do. Report back to Claire. Tell her you tugged me in."

Carter chuckled. "I'll call later, check up on you. Try to at least get a few hours rest before you shuffle off to do pack stuff."

Owen glared at him. Carter just flipped him a lazy salute, then he was out the door. Not much later the SUV was driving off.

He was alone.

Well, no. His girls were there and they were happy to have him back.

"Home," he murmured. "I'm home."

They were there, through the bond, brushing against his mind and welcoming him back.

_Sleep_, Blue said. _Everything else later._

Yeah, later.

The pain meds were making him sleepy and his body demanded rest. He was exhausted from doing nothing.

Great.

He almost immediately fell asleep the moment his bruised body stretched out on the bed.

x XX JW XX x

He woke to a headache and dizziness. Owen groaned in pain and closed his eyes, feeling the nausea rise. It took him a while to be able to even open his eyes and he regretted it immediately.

Bright daylight was hell!

Owen almost blindly reached for the pain killers he had on a bottle next to his bed and managed to get a pill out. He swallowed it with some water, then closed his eyes again and waited for the medication to kick in.

The pack was a soft background presence, not invasive, just watching and waiting.

When the pain killers finally started to work, it felt like hours had passed.

Maybe they had.

x XX JW XX x

The shower helped. It loosened his cramped muscles, eased the pain in his body, and the meds did the rest.

Blow to the head, he mused. What did I expect?

x XX JW XX x

Owen found that someone had delivered several containers of food that he could easily heat. There was a note telling him that the freezer was now freshly stocked, that the fridge had more bite-sized meals.

It was signed by Nancy and Laurel.

_When?_ he asked, not even sure whether he had spoken out loud or not.

_While you slept. We behaved._

They hadn't gone outside the enclosure, even though the gates were simply pulled shut but hadn't been locked. He smiled as he folded the note again. He would have to thank his friends.

x XX JW XX x

Owen made himself coffee and managed to scramble eggs and fry bacon without turning the kitchen into a battle field. Toasting a bagel was kid's play.

His stomach settled with the food inside and he took his prescription meds, like a good patient.

Then he walked outside to finally greet his girls.

tbc...


	31. Chapter 31

The paddock was bathed in sunlight. Clouds still obscured the sun now and then, but most of the storm had passed. The winds were strong, but not dangerous, and it was a little cooler today. The raptor enclosure and the land surrounding Owen's house hadn't suffered from the cyclone. The trees had bowed, but they hadn't broken. The ground was still a little more muddy than usual and there were puddles further out toward the road.

Owen found the gates still unlocked, but they had been pushed closed. For such intelligent dinosaurs like raptors it wouldn't be much of a challenge to open them. For the pack it wouldn't have been a challenge at all.

Walking into the paddock, Owen was immediately surrounded by the four velociraptors. They rumbled and chittered, making clicking noises of welcome, and Blue pushed into the palm he held out.

_Alpha._

The word was echoed three more times and Owen felt this gooey warmth in his chest, like a hug, like emotions overflowing that he knew weren't his own.

"I'm proud of you," he told the four raptors. "All of you. Each and every single one. And thankful."

They rumbled, pleased, Echo more than any of the others, and he scrubbed his good hand over her muzzle.

"You are amazing, Echo. Thank you."

She purred loudly.

Echo had carried him. She had carried him!

His girl was smug and proud and she had every right to be. Her head was up high, she stood with her chest puffed out, and she shot the others challenging looks.

Blue snorted, not challenged in her beta role. Delta and Charlie prowled around her sister.

Not that Owen had any intention to ever ride a raptor, but the very idea… the way the pack had worked together to get their seriously hurt alpha home…

They had all done so well. Even if part of it had meant overwhelming his mind and making him move through the pain.

_Help. You needed help. It was all we could do._

Blue nuzzled against his shoulder, careful, soft in her approach. No one would believe how gentle these four predators could be with their alpha. But within a fraction of a second were able to turn on whatever threat faced them, maybe even kill.

Owen was quite aware of that, but he didn't fear them. Enveloped by them, body and mind, he was in the most dangerous position and he felt no fear. No terror. No apprehension.

Just… warmth. Trust.

Blue sniffed at the cast on his arm and touched it with a talon.

He let her.

A little pressure and she could easily slice into it, but there wasn't even an indentation. Well, not much of one.

_We are always with you, Owen, alpha. _

The bond. They were there, through the bond. They could never be anywhere else, be less of what they had already become.

Owen was part of this.

They were all each other's safety net. What they had done went far and beyond everything anyone could ever have come up with as a likely reaction for a pack of raptors whose human alpha had gone down.

When the i-rex had attacked him it had been a psychic strike. It had bounced along the bond, had thrown them all. There had been no blood, no physical pain.

When Echo had lost it under the pressure of the i-rex's mind, he had been just bruised.

Charlie's reaction to Owen removing the piece of metal in her gums hadn't been an attack either.

But this, Owen lying on the ground, bleeding, broken bones and concussed, had been like the ultimate trust exercise. This had cemented the facts.

Cooperation to get him back.

Careful of his injuries, of the fragile human body.

Seeking out Claire.

Knowing where she lived!

They had managed to get him onto Echo's back, had carried him through the jungle… and Owen had barely more than fragments of memories.

Blue closed the last inches between them, a solid warmth against his body, and Owen wrapped his good arm around her neck. There was no way he could express what he felt for them, what they meant, how deep this was for him, but they knew. Emotions lapped back and forth inside the bond and they were all aware of the other side's condition.

Charlie, Delta and Echo closed rank around their human alpha, noses pressing in, brushing carefully against his uninjured side, wary of his bandaged head and broken arm.

He let them in, dropped his shields, let go and sought out the warmth and comfort of the pack mind. It took the pain, it eased the tension, and it had the four raptors breathe more easily, too.

x XX JW XX x

Owen left the gates open, allowed the pack to wander around, but they didn't go any further than a hundred feet from the house.

He opened the meat locker for them to get what they needed. Thankfully he needed only one hand for that. He wasn't physically able to carry the meat anywhere and Owen was reluctant to call anyone for help. Peter Kozinski might be one of the few willing, but Owen knew his pack was more than capable of feeding themselves out of the locker.

Blue agreed, though she had to chase Delta away when the other raptor started to gorge herself.

Whenever he walked anywhere, one of the girls was there, keeping close just in case. Owen felt less dizzy, but he wasn't fully functional either. It was Charlie who herded him toward the porch, urging him take a break when the headache got stronger.

"Yeah, I'm going. Geez, pushy much?"

Charlie rumbled softly, a pointed look accompanying the sounds.

"Pushy," Owen just repeated, but he was glad to sit down again.

x XX JW XX x

Sitting in the shade, enjoying the warmth, taking his meds, Owen wasn't surprised when Claire showed up, Dr. Svenson in tow, and Carter was following them in his own car.

The raptors had thankfully decided to doze in the paddock after their meal. Delta's sharp bark had alerted Owen to the approach of the visitors, then the pack had retreated.

"You're looking a lot better," Svenson remarked as she looked him up and down.

"Less gray and red, more natural color," Carter agreed, leaning against the car, though there was nothing casual about the posture.

He had his side-arm strapped to one leg, a knife visible in his belt, and his rifle was within reach inside the car. Carter's eyes strayed over to the paddock.

"Inside," Svenson ordered. "I'm checking the head wound."

"Yes, ma'am."

x XX JW XX x

He was fine. Less dizziness, less fuzzy edges, appetite returning and pain meds would be reduced. His arm would need to stay in the cast for two weeks, the sling mandatory, and he would have to drop by Svenson's office once a week.

"The swelling is already receding a little," Svenson reported. "The medication works. Just take it easy and take the meds."

Owen almost saluted.

Claire didn't look amused, but the relief was there.

"Haven't found your bike yet," Carter told him. "Looks like hell out there. We're busy cleaning up the park as such, but the moment I've got some men, we'll look more closely."

Owen shrugged, the bruise on his shoulder making itself known with a vengeance and he bit back a wince.

"He won't be riding a bike any time soon," Svenson said sternly, blue eyes narrowing at him in a warning.

"Or a raptor," Carter added with a grin.

Owen grimaced. "Very funny," he remarked, voice wry.

Dan grinned briefly.

Svenson packed up her things. "Stay off that arm, Mr. Grady. Rest. No heavy lifting at all. You might want to think about getting someone to help you with the raptor care, too."

"I'll think about it."

"Mr. Kozinski has some experience." That was Claire. And from her expression Owen had no right to veto that decision.

Oh well.

It could be worse.

x XX JW XX x

So Peter Kozinski it was.

He arrived later that day, bright-eyed, eager, but a lot more mature than the last time they had worked together. Kozinski was Themming's assistant by now, filling the ranks of park vets. He was capable, respectful of the animals, and he had learned to keep his distance from them.

He was a big help.

And he kept the doors closed and locked.

Blue watched him with fond tolerance. Since he kept them fed, the stables clean, and didn't go traipsing into the paddock while the raptors were inside, too.

"He learned," Owen said, scratching the skin around his cast.

Blue, standing so close to him that Owen was leaning against her a little, chuffed softly. She nuzzled against his neck and he reached up with his uninjured arm. Blue had started to only stand on his good side as not to add to the pain.

"You're all the best," he murmured, then walked to his shed, Blue a silent shadow barely a step behind him.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Owen caught Claire alone two days after the incident. He held out a to go cup of coffee from Starbuck's, tilting his head in a silent offer.

Claire accepted it and smiled when she smelled the caramel latte, extra shot of espresso, chocolate syrup on top of whipped cream. They might only have been on one date ever in their lives together on this island, but he remembered her favorite hot drink. They hadn't worked out; they were too different. And opposites might attract, but they hadn't complemented each other.

They worked well together, though. That had shown again when the i-rex had threatened the whole island. Colleagues, yes. Friends, yes. Lovers? No.

"Thanks," Claire now said.

"Got a minute?"

She gestured at the seats and they sat down.

"What's up?"

"Nothing. Everything's fine. I just wanted to thank you and also to apologize."

Claire gave him a surprised look. "Why?"

"Blue's decision to go to you… I think it was my fault."

Her eyes widened a fraction.

"What we share… is a two way road, right? The bond is deep and it's a constant flow of information. She's learned to be more than a mere raptor, though there's nothing 'mere' about a velociraptor anyway. They're intelligent by design. Wu just gave them a little extra. My connection to her… as my beta… it taught her about me, about humans, about a lot. She knows we have a past."

Claire was silent. Their past had consisted of one very much failed date and the agreement to continue as friends, which was a better relationship for them to have. That had prompted Blue to take her injured alpha to Claire Dearing.

"I trust you, Claire. So they knew you would be my best bet. You wouldn't try to shoot them. That's the reason. Nothing else." Owen gave her a crooked smile. "There's no one else, Claire. No one."

Claire nodded slowly. "Okay. So your raptors think I'm… trustworthy?"

"With my life."

That was a lot.

She looked composed on the outside, but Owen had long since learned to look for the small signs. Like her eyes. Like the way her fingers held on to the cup.

"Blue told me she would never harm you, but she had no way to communicate with you. Then you called Carter and things got… tense. She reacted to the growing danger to the pack and indirectly to me. So that's why I want to apologize. For making it worse."

Owen gave a tiny shrug.

"You didn't," Claire told him, voice soft. "You were unconscious at the time. You didn't tell them to go to me. It was their decision."

Owen nodded, fingers running along the edge of his cast.

"You went out to them. You talked to them. I can only imagine what you must have thought and felt."

Too much like the i-rex. Witnessing her turning the pack against Owen.

"I might not trust them," Claire said softly. "But I trust you. You raised them. You've kept them in check for almost five years now, Owen."

"I wasn't all there at the time."

"Enough to keep them calm."

"That was all the pack. It was instinct and knowledge at war. Blue had it under control."

"For which I'm thankful. Please never do that again, Owen. You had all of us worried."

"Not planning to."

"I'll hold you to that. We want you alive. I want you alive."

It got her an easy smile. Owen knew he could make no promises, but he would try. He felt warm at the words; a different kind of warmth from the declaration of the pack.

"Dr. Svenson came to me, updated me on your condition," Claire told him. "Aside from having a hard head, which I already know about, she said you were lucky."

"Probably."

"She also did a CT of your head."

Owen just about refrained from shrugging, which hurt, or raising his eyebrows, which pulled on the stitches. "And?"

"She found pronounced brain activity in regions a non-preternatural never uses and a preternatural as such wouldn't use that strongly."

He was silent, the words giving him a little jolt.

"The pack bond," Claire stated. "She did an fMRI, too. She made it visible."

"Meaning?" Owen prodded, feeling a little light-headed at the implications.

"Meaning you are an extraordinary man, Owen Grady, and now we have it in color." Claire's smile was warm, but not as jovial as her words. "Dr. Svenson won't send those results anywhere or write a paper about you. Masrani would make sure those results would never get published. He protects his employees. She scanned you to make sure you had no traumatic injuries. Now we have visible proof of your bond."

Owen had to chew on that. "It's under lock and key?"

"Yes."

"I want those files."

Claire nodded. "You'll get them."

Not that he could do anything with them, but Owen wanted to see what Svenson had seen, what the bond looked like. He was curious.

It wouldn't chance anything, but Owen wanted to know.

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"Hey, Raptor Whisperer!"

Owen rolled his eyes, giving Laurel a good-natured smile.

"Geez, you look like they stepped on you."

"It was a tree, Laurel. The girls had nothing to do with it." It had been his standard explanation for the past two days whenever someone ran into him, giving Owen a narrow-eyed look of suspicion and judgement.

"I know. Got the full truth yesterday from Maike. She's one of the baby nurses."

Owen could only vaguely put a face to the name and job, but there had been so many new people flocking to the theme park, it was hard to remember them all. Maike had to be one of the so-called nurses, vet assistants working solely with the baby dinosaurs.

"Hard head, hm?" Laurel teased.

"And good help."

"Did they really carry you home?"

"They did."

"Wow." She was impressed, truly impressed. "So… since you're up and walking, how about joining us for movie night? Josh and Reggie cornered one of the delivery guys from the Hilton and we've got the best ribs this side of Costa Rica and three sixpacks of that hideously expensive microbrew Manuel always bragged about. Not to mention all the other goodies. Chips, nachos, tacos, popcorn, you name it."

"Okay. Theme?"

"Monster Movie Mania."

Owen groaned.

"C'mon," Laurel wheedled. "You know you need a good distraction and no one will make fun of you if you fall asleep." She grinned widely. "You can always claim brain injury."

He sighed. "Okay. Time?"

"Come here by eight. Not everyone's off work by then, but most of the guys who are working will drop by for an hour or two later."

"Sure. See you then."

Laurel waved and disappeared. Owen just shrugged internally. It was bound to be fun and it would be nice to just sit back and maybe doze off a little.

x XX JW XX x

In the end it was a dragon movie. Something apocalyptic where humanity was trying to survive against revived dragons that turned the world into ashes.

Oh well.

Owen dozed off somewhere in the middle and woke when the second movie was playing. Something more along the lines of telepathic dragons in a fantasy world.

Nancy elbowed him and Owen scowled.

"Not telepathic," he mouthed.

"Close enough," was her cheerful answer.

x XX JW XX x

He came home way past midnight and fell asleep right away.

tbc...


	32. Chapter 32

Peter Kozinski was a huge help and Owen was glad the man was there. One less worry.

Owen felt he was all but useless right now. He tired easily, his arm was his handicap, and even his head felt like a leaky sieve. He couldn't concentrate on anything more complicated than basic tasks, and it annoyed him.

His former intern cleaned the stables, fed the raptors, and he repaired the harness Blue had had to damage when she had freed Owen's hand. Peter was on time and did everything with an easy air about him as if he hadn't done anything but take care of velociraptors since coming to the island.

"They're kinda… I don't know… demure?" he remarked over a lemonade and sandwich lunch.

Owen muffled a laugh behind his grilled cheese sandwich. He was glad he hadn't sipped anything.

"Demure?"

Peter shrugged. "I mean… not like they're shy… more like… conservative?" He made a general gesture. "Not so… intimidating. I know they were testing me when I was an intern here. And I made mistakes, for which they didn't kill me. Right now, though? Low-key. Really low-key."

Owen shrugged, wincing a little as his bruised shoulder protested. "Enjoy it while it lasts?"

Kozinski gave him a narrow-eyed look. "That's your answer?"

Owen smiled brightly.

"It's a pack alpha thing, right? 'Cause you're injured and everything. They're staying close by. They're waiting for you."

"I could go with them."

Peter snorted inelegantly. "Blue knows you're not up to your full strength, but she doesn't usurp your position. She's waiting for your recovery."

Owen didn't answer right away. Finally he gave Peter a lopsided smile. Kozinski accepted that as the answer and polished off his sandwich. Owen knew that the pack was not acting like the books said they would with a weak alpha or an even weaker human trainer.

The pack defied normal definition.

They were so low-key to help Owen heal. Peter couldn't see it, couldn't feel it, but all four had closed ranks around Owen's mind, a support too strong to break apart, and they kept him calm, without nightmares, and they helped with the pain.

It was weird and he hadn't talked about it with anyone.

Owen remembered more of the accident now. He remembered the storm, the rain, the blow to the shoulder and head. He remembered the crippling pain and the overwhelming presence of his beta, backed up by the pack. He had a few fragments after that, of moving, of getting carried, then a long stretch of nothing.

What he did remember clearly was the sensation of safety, of being surrounded and protected, of calmness and the pain being very distant.

"Gotta get back to work. You need something?" Peter interrupted his musings.

"Nope. I'm fine. Thanks, Peter."

"You're welcome."

And then he was gone. Owen was alone with his thoughts.

x XX JW XX x

He went into the park on a daily basis, not just for medical checks. The concussion was mostly gone, but he still had headaches now or then. It was annoying. Some weaker, some like migraines, and Owen had willingly and very voluntarily taken his pain medication just to escape the pain.

"I'm surprised your pack hasn't left scratches on it," Nancy teased. "Property of Blue, Charlie, Delta and Echo. The Grady Gang."

Owen chuckled. They would never get rid of that nickname ever. Or 'The Raptor Squad'.

"They know not to get me on Doc Svenson's shit list."

"Ah, yes, you raised ladies."

"I sure did."

"Hey, there you are! Look what I scavenged from Winston's!"

A paper bag was plunked in front of Nancy and Owen, and Peter sat down with a broad, slightly demented looking smile. He had been Owen's designated driver today because Doc Svenson had told him 'no' when it came to driving himself.

"Triple X Cheeseburgers, home made fries, no vitamins, no frills." He opened the bag and pulled out the cheeseburgers and fries, enough to feed an army, and handed out the drinks. "Chocolate milkshakes."

Nancy groaned, but she was already unwrapping her burger. "You're a god!"

Peter chuckled. "Stan is."

"New menu?" Owen hazarded a guess while trying to come up with a good strategy to eat a huge burger with one hand.

"Test menu. I volunteered us."

"Good choice."

Nancy finally took pity on Owen and wrapped the burger in a way that he could at least eat half of it without the huge meal falling apart. He gave her a thankful smile.

They ate in silence and Owen proved himself capable of eating the last half of his burger as messily as possible. Nancy rolled her eyes.

"I think you need to take a shower."

"I can get you a bucket," Peter said easily.

"No, thanks."

He chose the washrooms. While the cast got a little wet, he managed. Peter was waiting for him to drive them both back home.

x XX JW XX x

The trainers and keepers who hadn't already run into him or had been at the movie night found him one by one or in pairs, asking concerned questions, insisting to sign the cast.

So in the end he had little doodles and signatures all over the cast, which made it look like a pretty, abstract painting. Especially Josh showed a very artistic talent and used multiple colors to create a miniature raptor pack around his wrist and over the back of his hand.

Being amongst his friends helped Owen relax and he actually enjoyed the enforced downtime. He just watched the others work with their charges.

It was nice.

x XX JW XX x

And weird.

Sometimes it was weird, but that was what having friends was about, too.

Owen had such a weird moment when he met up with Josh for a quick lunch behind the scenes. Josh was already in the company of Serena Gomez-Smith, a botanist, and one of the many interns. Juan, if Owen remembered correctly. Another intern, one of the botanists', was just about to leave the table when Owen walked into the employee break-room and she stared at him, then hurried away, looking rather flustered.

"What?" Owen asked as he sat down, his cast still in a sling, but he took the arm out sometimes. Especially when the doc wasn't around.

Like now.

Josh snickered and Serena elbowed him.

"What?" Owen repeated, brows dipping.

"Oh, that was Zoe. She has a thing for you. Maybe had."

Owen blinked, then looked at where the young woman had run out of the room, then shot Josh a look.

"She doesn't."

"She does," Serena agreed. "She's working with my team and she's been asking everyone about you, trying to be inconspicuous and failing. She likes you. I think she has a thing for the outdoorsy kind of guys with bumps and bruises."

"She's young enough to be my daughter!"

"Only if you started out really young." Serena grinned. "She's twenty-six and looks like she's barely in junior high. Thing is, Josh freaked her out."

Josh shrugged, munching on a gigantic cranberry muffin. "Hey, she misheard Or misinterpreted. Or she has the education of a lemming."

Owen sighed and decided to just go with the weird around him. "What did you say?"

"Nothing bad." Josh held up his hands, one with a crumbs-dripping muffin. "Really! She asked about you, about where you work because you're never around much, what you do… And I told her to just leave it at a crush and go on because you have raptors."

Grady opened his mouth, then snapped it shut again. It sounded innocent. And it was the truth because he didn't plan on engaging in any kind of relationship, especially an intern or a one-night stand with someone who was more of a fan girl.

"And she runs from me why?"

"She… might have believed that having raptors is a disease…" Josh said slowly, his grin spreading wider. "Like an STD?"

Serena and Juan burst out laughing as Josh couldn't contain his own laughter. Owen groaned and decided that hitting his already mistreated head on the table would really get him on Svenson's shit list.

"I explained the facts to her," Serena managed, still giggling. "Told her you work with velociraptors. And that's you already have someone." She raised an eyebrow.

"So now she thinks I'm into bestiality?" he deadpanned.

Josh choked on his coffee, helplessly guffawing and spraying muffin and coffee. Juan valiantly tried not to join in, but then gave up. Laughter erupted again.

Owen had to chuckle himself.

It was such a surreal idea!

x XX JW XX x

Yeah, having friends was sometimes a pain, but in a good way. Owen let Serena sign his cast, to which she added a drawing of a vine that made the whole piece of art even more artsy.

x XX JW XX x

Of course Laurel, Nancy, Reggie and the others had already heard about Owen 'having raptors', so he wasn't surprised about the photoshopped warning sign popping up.

x XX JW XX x

Owen never managed to talk to Zoe, who did the best to avoid him, and two weeks later she was already gone, back to the mainland.

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A small storm whipped up as the helicopter landed right on time. It was two weeks till the reopening of the park and final preparations had been made. Everyone was ready and actually itching to finally open their businesses.

Dr. Alan Grant stepped out of the helicopter and helpful workers unloaded his bags, among other things. It had been a freight flight with an additional passenger.

Owen waved at his long-time friend and mentor. Alan smiled and walked over, carrying his backpack. His baggage would be wheeled over to the hotel. All part of the service.

"Hey!" Owen said with a bright smile. "Welcome back to Isla Nublar. Welcome back to Jurassic World. Good flight?"

"Not a single bump, thank you. Smooth all the way. And what the hell happened to you?" he demanded, looking at the cast on Owen's arm.

"Broke a bone."

"I can see that!"

Owen wriggled the fingers of his good hand at him. "All still there," he joked.

Alan's face grew dark, brows lowered, eyes narrowed. "The raptors?"

"No! Geez, Alan!"

"Hey, it's a valid question."

"It was an accident with a tree."

"Not making it better, kid."

Owen sighed. "I would have called, but I knew you were already on the way."

"And you hit that thick head of yours."

"Tree, too."

"Uh-huh."

"I'll tell you all about it," Owen promised.

Alan looked around, a kind of tense apprehension to the set of his shoulders and visible around the eyes. No matter how smoothly the last visit had been, with no rampaging dinosaurs and almost getting eaten by them, the events from so many years ago still sat way too deep.

Owen understood. If not for the pack, he had no idea whether he would have survived the i-rex experience like he had… mentally. The pack had given him the necessary stability, a nightmare free sleep, and a way of acceptance that was pure raptor. A mere human would probably have run as fast as he could.

Owen had started to accept that he wasn't simply human any more, at least in his mind. His psyche accepted some things so much more easily.

"You staying in the hotel?"

Alan shrugged. "I received a confirmation that Masrani Global booked one of those high-end apartments for me."

"Only the best for the leading consultant?"

"Shut up, kid."

"Just saying."

"Why? Were you going to offer me that cupboard of a guest room?"

"I'm in the process of renovating."

"Right." Alan gave him a half-smile. "You mentioned that." He glanced at the cast again.

Owen raised his eyebrows. "Would you want to move into a neighborhood with four velociraptors and their alpha?"

The tension crept back for a moment, then a steely resolve chased those old shadows away.

"Not my first choice, but I've decided that I might need to get used to a few changes around here if I plan to accept Mr. Masrani's offer of being a full-time consultant."

Grady shrugged. "You could always start slow and commute. And you'd have a little more room. My house isn't that big. Go slow, professor. Baby steps after trauma."

"Don't coddle me, Grady," Alan growled.

"I never would. I understand what happened and you know it. We both know it. You got out of it alive twice. I'm actually more than just surprised that you came back a second time. To Jurassic World."

Alan stopped beside the jeep, giving it a once-over. It wasn't one of the ultra-modern electric cars. This was one of Owen's on-going projects. It was old but faithful, though he usually used the bike or the ATVs.

"My ride?" he asked, ignoring Owen's last words.

Owen chose to follow his friend's lead and dropped the topic. "If you want. I can get us one of the company cars for the tour of the new park. It's a short trip to the hotel. You can unpack and we can meet up later."

Alan grinned. "I rode worse. Can you even drive with that thing on your arm?"

"I had a week to get used to it and it's okay. There's no traffic and short distances I can handle. Off-road adventures have to wait."

"I trust you can get me to my hotel in one piece, kid."

"Then let's go."

tbc...


	33. Chapter 33

They stopped at the hotel and Alan checked in, got his bags delivered to his room, then he was back again. Owen gave him a surprised look.

"I got enough sleep on my way here. I could do with some food, though."

Food it was. Mexican. With very good beer and some of the other keepers and trainers dropping in with a wave. None of them joined the two men, giving them privacy and time to talk.

Owen talked. About the sensor placement, the storm, the accident. About the pack getting him back, about just anything.

Alan listened.

Shook his head.

Just about refrained from calling Owen Grady a few choice names.

"They carried you back," he simply said.

"Yeah."

"This is way, way beyond anything anyone ever recorded of velociraptors before. This isn't normal behavior."

Owen gave him a pointed look.

"Right," Alan muttered. "Right. How much changed after this?"

"So much and so little, really." Owen ran a finger over the condensation of his glass of water. "I never thought possible what happened. Everything that happened."

Alan nodded slowly.

"I'm still me, Alan."

"If you say so."

"Hey, c'mon." Owen smiled briefly, then he grew serious again, scratching at the skin around his cast. "This went deep. Out of necessity."

"They overrode your brain and made you move against severe pain." Alan sounded a little brittle.

"They can't remote-control me."

"They did."

"I let them. And all they did was buffer the pain to get me moving."

Alan's lips became thin lines.

"Professor… Alan…"

He sighed. "I know. Pack. Pack bond. A deep bond that will be permanent."

Owen nodded slowly.

"I dug into old stories, into obscure reports, kid. I know what can happen to a preternatural who is this deep inside an animal's mind. You have four. You have extremely dangerous, lethal, prehistoric creatures bound to you."

"My grampa's sister was talented. Very. She got lost within a mind."

"I didn't know that."

"She was a strong preternatural. Grampa told me I'm just as talented. But I'm not going to follow a tiger into the jungle and disappear."

"Tiger?"

"Her choice. She worked with big cats. She bonded to a tiger and became… him. And she went into the woods. I'm not her. Nothing like this is going to happen." Owen grabbed a knife and scratched underneath the cast. "My mind is interwoven with the packs, but I'm still very much human. I'm not a raptor."

Alan snatched it out of his hand. "Stop that."

"It itches!"

"You are how old?"

Owen went back to eating, eyes crinkling with mirth.

"You mentioned they surrounded you?" Alan prodded.

Of course he had heard that. Of course he remembered.

So Alan Grant was the first to hear about the pack's support, the way they had buffered the pain, the way they were on their most perfect behavior right now, keeping Owen on an even keel and free of nightmares.

"They are in your head," he stated. "All of them." Alan looked apprehensive, maybe even more than a little worried. "This development has been growing exponentially faster, kid."

"No. All five of us have grown in our own ways since they came into my care. Some faster, some slower. Each of my girls is unique and has an area where she develops quicker than the others. When I was hurt, all of them worked together. Their own initiative. They could have run off, Alan. They could have abandoned me."

Though Owen doubted Blue would have left him there to be found either dead or still alive.

"Blue is in charge in my absence, be in physical or because I'm knocked out. After the i-rex I didn't have a lot of nightmares and those I recall were just bad dreams. They buffered there as well. They crowded closer, seeking reassurance and giving protection. This was something like that."

He scratched at the cast again. Alan shot him a look and Owen stopped.

"When does it come off?"

"Got an appointment tomorrow to check how it looks. Dr. Svenson said in a week, maybe. If everything heals as it should."

"Fingers crossed then. Well, I'll head for the hotel. I have to unpack and talk to Claire."

"Have fun," Owen said with a grin.

x XX JW xx xx XX JW xx xx XX JW xx xx XX JW xx xx XX JW xx xx XX JW xx xx XX JW xx xx XX JW xx x

_He fears us._

Owen was enjoying the last rays of the sun as they crept over the mountains. It would soon be dark. The forecast spoke of rain tomorrow, which was nothing out of the ordinary right now. It would probably be drizzly with moderately warm temperatures for the next week.

He was just glad he had the outside of the house renovated and painted. Especially before breaking his arm.

"He's apprehensive. He already met you and while he isn't a fan, he can accept that the pack is different from the raptors he met before."

Blue was a thoughtful presence in the back of his mind. After his accident and the forced deep-bond, his beta had found it easier than before to piggy-back along with him in his mind, though never for a long time.

At least for now.

Like her alpha, Blue had to be in a safe place and concentrate. It had gotten easier for Owen with more training, enabling him to briefly get in touch with his beta without having to get into a near-meditative state.

Lately, that had changed as well.

It was also something he hadn't talked about with anyone.

_We wouldn't harm him._

"I know. Alan came back and he's seriously considering a more permanent position as a consultant. It's something I wouldn't have thought possible."

He yawned, still tiring easily. The pain meds had been reduced to almost nothing. Svenson had told him only to take a pill if he really needed it. While Owen's shoulder was one massive bruise he could live without painkillers. The broken arm was fine. It was also healing as expected. The laceration was still red and slightly swollen, but stitches would be removed in a few days.

All in all he felt rather good.

Carter still hadn't found his bike. It was probably buried under a ton of mud and possibly a goner.

x XX JW xx x

Blue was curled around his mind, the pack like guardians close him, seeking nearness, and Owen slept like a log.

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He stood in the observation room of T-Rex kingdom, gazing out over the jungle in front of him. There was a huge clearing to give the spectators a better view of the events. The ground was hard-packed, trampled down from countless shows where a gigantic, prehistoric creature had come out of the jungle to feed.

For show.

With a live goat and a hundred eyes watching in fascination, fear and sometimes disgust.

Professor Alan Grant felt the old, well-known tension creep through his body and he forced himself to relax.

This wasn't Jurassic Park. This wasn't the nightmare he had survived twice.

This wasn't anything from out of his sleepless nights, when tremors had chased down his spine and he had woken with surreal visions of a t-rex looking through his windows, talking in warbling noises to him.

No, this was safe.

Had been… was again.

He blew out a breath.

Footsteps sounded in the otherwise deserted observation room and he turned to give Owen a brief smile. Alan knew the man had made more noise than he usually did. He walked silently.

Like a raptor.

Another tremor.

He had known Owen Grady for… a long time. Ages. It felt like he had always known him. They had talked about almost everything in their lives, especially Jurassic Park, Isla Sorna and Isla Nublar, and there was hardly anything Owen didn't know about the events from twenty years ago.

And there was hardly anything Alan didn't know about the talented preternatural.

Alpha of a pack of raptors.

Owen had changed with his evolution. He had grown into his abilities and he was sure of himself in a way that couldn't be called arrogance. He was safe within the pack. Didn't flaunt that either.

He just was… alpha. Calm and assertive, mentally anchored within them, bound in a way that would scare others or let them run away in terror.

Owen had embraced it.

He lived it.

He was, in a way, a raptor. And he was human.

Just sometimes, the way he moved, the way his attention would be on something or other, the way he… just was… Alan couldn't shake that feeling.

The pack had changed his friend.

Not in a bad way, just changed him. He was attuned to their behavior, they needs, their instincts. He moved among them like he wasn't fragile and easily disemboweled.

"Deep thoughts?" Owen now asked.

His attention was as sharp and singular as a raptors, too.

This was what it meant to lose oneself within his abilities, to get too close to the minds one was working with. Owen was a positive example of what preternaturals were warned about never to do. Worse cases had happened. Cases where the human was nothing but the animal in the end.

Owen was Owen. With an added raptor flavor.

"It doesn't cease to be weird," Alan now said out loud, looking back out into the T-Rex Kingdom. "It's a nightmare and therapy in one."

Owen chuckled, all ease and relaxed muscles, still clearly ready to spring into action. The cast was still there, but he no longer wore the sling. The cast itself would come off in two days.

"That what the counselor told you?"

"Haven't seen one of them in over a decade."

There was movement among the trees and then the massive shape of the t-rex appeared, sniffing the air, eyes scanning the area. No food was waiting for her, but she had still emerged, like she knew they were there.

Grant shot Owen a quizzical look and Owen shrugged almost apologetically.

"I didn't call her. She's not mine. But she seems to pick up on me sometimes."

Alan grunted. Right. Owen had talked to him about the change in his abilities, how he felt more and more of the other inhabitants of the prehistoric zoo.

"No communication?"

"Nope. Thank god."

Yes, thank god.

The t-rex padded lazily closer, raising her head to peer at the two men. She rumbled, a sound easily audible even through the safety glass. Alan glanced at Owen and watched him briefly tilt his head, then he visibly pulled back. He almost took a physical step back.

"That intense?"

Owen gave him a humorless smile. "That weird. She's not like the pack. She is… not as there, as present, as… singular. She's the only one of her kind at the park, but the raptors are more individual."

"They evolved. She hasn't."

"Yeah."

Grady turned back to the window. They watched as the t-rex inspected the feeding station where the tourists would get their thrill, and since there was nothing to bite into or inspect, she walked off again. She briefly looked back, then the jungle swallowed her.

Alan felt himself relax a little more.

"Laurel will start with the regular feeding tomorrow," Owen said, breaking the silence. "The rex learns pretty fast and it's something she simply has to remember again."

"You're still not part of the world?" Alan wanted to know as they walked toward the exit.

"Nope. And I won't be. Claire agrees with me and Dan Carter, our chief of security, is very happy never to have them anywhere near a group of hyperactive kids."

Alan nodded.

They left the Kingdom and strolled down toward the Main Street again, enjoying the mild day. Alan had a full schedule today, mostly inspecting exhibits, talking to the keepers, and lunch with Claire.

Owen's plans were simple: pack time.

"Enjoy," Alan said with a crooked smile.

"Always."

He watched the younger man go. Part of him was convinced that raptors lurked in the still very quiet streets, always near their alpha. Another called him a fool. Not even Grady was insane enough to bring the fully grown predators into the middle of the theme world. They were there, with him, connected, but not physically present.

Need to get used to it, Alan repeated to himself. To all of it. I chose to do this. It was my decision. No one forced me to accept.

And he had to get used to the raptors. They were part of Owen's world. He would have them around, physically there.

x XX JW xx x

Just how hard that was Alan found out three days later.

The first encounter was months back and had been brief and to the point. He had been exposed to the pack and then they had gone off for a run.

Now they were milling around the paddock, lazy, relaxed, but attentive enough. They were quite aware of the visitor and they watched him wherever he went.

Four pairs of cool eyes following him.

Alan could have retreated to the house or spent his time out of the line of sight, but he needed the exposure. He needed to learn, to train. He was part of Jurassic World, at least for now.

"You don't have to be a martyr," Owen remarked.

"I need to learn."

"Alan… you were traumatized. You suffered PTSD. I understand and I won't hold it against you. We can hang out at the park. Or the hotel. I can grab my stuff and we find somewhere else to talk."

Grant shook his head. "No."

Owen expelled a breath. "Hard-headed sob."

He chuckled. "Look who's talking. But seriously, kid, I need to learn to accept some things. I won't ever trust these animals, but I trust you to keep them from eating me."

"That I can vouch for."

Alan felt a prickle at the back of his neck and turned, slow and measured, and nearly stepped back in shock when he found that Blue was right behind the bars, watching.

She had approached silently.

Steel bars and mesh between them.

Owen tilted his head, looking amused.

"What?" Alan asked, voice a little too breathy for his liking.

"Oh, nothing. She thinks exposure helps. I think helping you get a heart attack isn't the goal."

Alan clenched his hands into fists, blunt nails biting into his palms. "As long as she's on the other side."

"Says the man who had thought about crashing in my guest room?" Owen teased.

"Shut up."

Blue whuffled.

Alan relaxed his hands and resolutely turned away from the paddock. He walked over to the porch and Owen followed him, a half-amused smile on his features.

"So, talk to me about that project of yours," Alan demanded and sat down on one of the deck chairs.

Owen easily took his cues and spread out the map he had acquired of the restricted area, complete with the changes he had already made. Alan leaned over it, noting the few areas that were still clearly visible as the former Jurassic Park, and the many more areas that had been reclaimed by nature.

A lot had changed.

His memories of those times were sketchy in some places and very clear in others. Trauma could do that. Especially after getting chased by a t-rex or a pack of raptors.

Owen calmly explained where he wanted to set up cameras only he had an access code to, the sensors that told him of illegal landings at the old ferry site or anywhere else a boat could be towed. The airspace was monitored by InGen, but the ocean was a big, big place.

"Looks sound," Alan commented. "What about the buildings?"

"Mostly ruins. Some are good shelters, but you couldn't live in them anymore." Owen pointed out the old visitor center and part of the labs. "Those you can safely spend a night or two, roughing it. The rest, nope."

"The old enclosures?"

"Overgrown, the walls are down, no more electricity. Even if you got the generators running, the cables are rotted away and broken. A lot has been… recycled."

"Scavengers," Alan nodded. "And aside from the compys? No other wild dinosaurs."

"None I or the pack saw. And the girls are very thorough. Isla Sorna is where the wild things roam."

Alan grimaced. "Been there. Even less of my favorite place in the world."

The place where he had discovered so much more about the velociraptors, their pack structure, the way they communicated and acted together. They had chased after the group because of their stolen eggs, had wanted their future babies back, and they hadn't just slaughtered the humans.

They had planned. They had been intelligent. They had made demands.

Owen's pack was a different kind of generation. A different kind of breed.

They talked some more about the restricted area, Alan gave Owen some ideas, and he watched the recordings made by Echo and Charlie the last time they had been there with a camera.

When Alan left, his eyes strayed automatically to the enclosure.

He wasn't surprised to see that Blue was watching again.

Owen's beta.

For anyone but Owen this whole set-up would have been hell, would have probably erased his mind and in the end gotten him killed.

Owen thrived.

Owen had become so much more than a mere trainer or behavioral analyst.

Blue rumbled softly, but there was no threat to it. Her jaws opened, showing sharp teeth. It wasn't threatening either. She walked along the fence as Alan headed for his car, then stopped and chuffed softly.

"Forget near-human," Alan murmured, looking into those non-human eyes.

She was human-level intelligent. She had the cognitive functions. She had the memory capacities.

Damn, shot through his mind. Damn, damn, damn. What a fucked-up world.

Owen would never leave the island. Not without the pack. And if the pack perished… Alan pushed that thought away.

Don't think about it.

Never.

Live in the here and now. It was all anyone could do in this kind of situation.

Blue drummed her sharp talons against the metal bars, snorting. Alan felt the old shiver of fear race through him. He turned and got into his car, resolutely starting the engine. He needed a drink. Margaritaville sounded just about right.

tbc...


	34. Chapter 34

Owen watched his friend go.

Blue had deliberately trailed Alan, getting a rise out of him, and the scent of fear had intrigued her. She trotted back, whuffling softly to herself.

_He reacts strongly. Even now. He knows us, your pack. He trusts you, the alpha. And still there are surges of flight. He can't tell when we are hunting or just watching._

"Bad experience," Owen said softly as he leaned against the fence. "Very bad."

Blue understood fear. She understood where it came from in prey animals who knew they were about to die, end up as raptor food. But even prey knew when a hunter wasn't hunting. The gallimimus never ran in panic from the pack when they were simply herded.

Alan had encountered different raptor packs and survived.

_He can learn. He doesn't._

"He wants to learn, too. Given time, he might be able to… tolerate your."

Blue grumbled, shaking herself. Delta came over, a quizzical presence along the bond.

"I'm getting the new gear tomorrow, girls. And we'll have a nanny."

Blue's response was the raptor equivalent of a chuckle over the bond. Of course the pack could watch out for their alpha, but they agreed that help was welcome.

Owen snorted. "Yeah, thanks," he grumbled.

Dan Carter would be part of the new trip into the restricted area, mainly because Owen wasn't allowed to go anywhere on his own due to the cast.

"Get some rest. We have a lot to do tomorrow."

Delta's whine sounded plaintive, but she accepted the decision that they wouldn't be let out today.

Owen went back to his map, his plan, then checked his mails. Carter hadn't updated the last message, which meant everything was still as planned.

Tomorrow morning, eight o'clock, Owen would get the sensors and cameras. He would share the burden with Echo, then they would be off to place the first batch.

x XX JW XX x

Carter was on time. The pack eyed him with moderate interest. All had their required muzzles and Echo was harnessed and ready as always.

"Flummy," Owen murmured with a grin.

Carter raised his eyebrows, lips twitching. "Eager, hm?"

"She loves her position as the designated carrier. Makes her proud."

Dan looked at the raptor in question. "Uh-huh."

"Charlie's the main camera girl, Echo has her job as the carrier."

"Delta?"

"B-camera. Blue's keeping an eye on matters."

"Since she's your beta."

Owen shrugged.

And then they were off in the InGen jeep Carter had come with.

x XX JW XX x

This time it went like planned. With Carter's help Owen set his cameras and sensors, doing most of the work due to Owen's handicap anyway, then tested their signals.

It looked good.

"Lorenzo," Carter spoke into his comm. "We're done. Can you get the signal?"

"Looks good," the technician answered. "All devices have a strong signal. I'll set up the program so you can easily log in and get your live feeds. I'll probably need two hours."

"Roger that. Let us know when you're done. We're heading back."

x XX JW XX x

Owen was at the control center three hours later, the pack safely back home in their paddock. Carter had followed him.

Elias Lorenzo, chief tech guy, gave Owen an introduction into the surveillance program and handed him instruction to set up his own access and password.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Laurel and Josh had organized a Barbecue Night. It was a team event. Not just the section managers, but all the workers and all the keepers. Winston's Steakhouse had donated the steaks. Margaritaville had opened their bar. Sunrio had added the sides, including the salad, and Yoshinoya catered to those who wanted sushi, no steaks. Desserts were from almost everyone, mainly Ben&amp;Jerry's and Baked By Melissa.

Owen felt like he was about to burst. Three steaks were really more than his stomach was used to, but they had been delicious.

"Carnivorous appetite?"

He gave Alan a half-glare. The man had stuck to one juicy rib-eye steak and salad, though he had grabbed a small tub of ice cream off the dessert buffet.

"I'm not ordering my steaks raw."

"But bloody."

"Always did."

Alan chuckled and scraped ice cream onto his spoon.

"I'm the pack alpha by name and still human. I don't eat like a raptor. I don't bring down my prey."

"I know, kid, I know." Alan leaned back, balancing the ice cream. "This is nice."

Owen had to agree. It had been a great idea. Two more days and the daily insanity of a theme world would be back. The media would arrive tomorrow afternoon for the press conference. Masrani had been on the island for a while now, making sure there were no hiccups, and there had been an exclusive interview already.

Grady had simply kept himself out of the spotlight. The raptors were not part of the park and that meant Owen was just one of the many, many keepers and workers.

"Yeah, it is."

"Quiet before the storm."

"So, Mr. Chief Consultant?" Owen teased. "And with a sold-out auditorium and theater gig at the park."

Alan snorted, but the crinkles around his eyes and the smile on his lips spoke lengths. He was proud and he knew he was doing something important. He had taken his consultant position seriously and there had been some serious restructuring, as well as the ban on extreme hybridization.

"It's starting again," he finally said.

"In a positive way."

"Fingers crossed?"

Owen smiled, raising his eyebrows. "That, too. But Masrani is taking this seriously. The eco terrorist excuse works only one time."

Alan would stay for another month, keeping an eye on park operations, on the animals, advising and helping where he could, and he had his lecture schedule.

After that he would make his decision whether to terminate his consultant position or take it up permanently.

"I talked to Ellie."

Owen raised his eyebrows in a silent question.

"She said way to get back into the saddle, then called me an idiot. And then she said to say 'hi' to you." At Owen's surprised look Alan shrugged. "We talked. About you, the raptors, this whole behavioral study. She might have called you insane. Crazy. Total nut job."

"Thanks," was the wry comment.

"I might have mentioned you connected on a preternatural basis with you pack of four. After the shock wore off she said a few more uncomplimentary things before firing a ton of questions at me."

"So she knows the depths of my bond?"

Alan shrugged. He trusted his long-time friend, one-time girl-friend and oldest companion.

Owen gazed at the crowds everywhere, having a good time, drinking, eating, chatting, laughing. Many knew he was talented. Some knew he was a rather strong preternatural. And only a select few were aware what he had done, how permanently he was now connected to his four girls. Those few were an elite, very much trusted group, all of them talented themselves. Aside from Masrani and Claire, maybe. And Alan.

Now someone outside knew, too.

"She won't go to the press, Owen. I trust her."

"I know. Knee-jerk reaction in here." He tapped his temple. "The press would love it."

"They won't get it from Ellie. You're also not part of the theme park."

Owen was thankful for that. His was a research place, not a show trainer. He had the power to approve or deny visitors, and so far, aside from the infamous intern, no one had paid him a visit.

Speaking of Peter…

He looked around and finally found their former intern, now vet assistant, talking animatedly with a trainer. If Owen remembered correctly it was Suzanne Ortega, who was responsible for the petting zoo area.

"Dr. Themming kept him?" Alan asked, following his gaze.

"Yep. He's good. Really. Aside from those few mistakes in the beginning he had really made a good impression the rest of the stay and his reviews were generally positive."

Owen had had to write his own and he hadn't gone too deeply into the stable incident. Safety features had been disregarded, mistakes had been made, but there had been no real harm done.

Thankfully.

He had well-behaved girls.

"Peter was the guy they sent me to help out until I could take care of the pack again. Cleaning the stables, feeding them, all the fun stuff."

"And they didn't eat him then either."

"Like I said, I raised them right."

Alan chuckled. "Well, I'll call it a night. An old man needs his sleep," he announced.

Owen grimaced. "Right."

It was after sunset. Close to midnight. He had a full day ahead of him tomorrow as well, so he accompanied Alan to the hotel where he had also parked the bike.

"See you tomorrow."

Alan waved and disappeared into the lobby.

Owen stretched and headed to the employee parking lot.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Simon Masrani, billionaire and CEO of Masrani Global, had been on the island for three days before Owen actually got to see him. He had been on TV, giving interviews, being charming and suave, telling everyone how happy he was to reopen Jurassic World after everything that had happened. There were documentaries running on the man, his company, and the success that had been Jurassic World until that fateful day a group of eco terrorists had released a hallucinogetic gas into the park and opened several enclosures, supposedly masquerading as workers, security and visiting scientists.

Too many had died.

The park had been closed.

Masrani had played the media, had sold them the lies, and the survivors had received hefty sums for their silence.

A silence that had been expensive but necessary.

Masrani had charmed the press, talking, answering endless questions, being the personal tour guide to a select few journalists.

Owen shouldn't have been surprised when the silver SUV stopped in front of his trailer where he was taking apart a bike engine. He rose when the car had stopped, wiping his hands on a rag. The cast was gone. The injured arm was a lot paler and looked thinner. Regular physical therapy had been on Owen's schedule for a while now and he was taking it easy with the heavy lifting.

Masrani got out, nodding at his driver, one of the security troopers. He gave Owen a smile.

"Mr. Masrani," he greeted his boss.

"Mr. Grady. I hope I'm not interrupting something. I didn't call."

Owen smiled an easy smile. "Tinkering, mostly. What can I do for you?"

"How about a tour of the raptor compound?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

x XX JW XX x

Masrani watched the pack from the gallery running around most of the paddock. There was real interest there, especially when Blue looked back with cool interest. Her eyes flicked to her alpha.

_No threat._

It wasn't even a question. It was a statement from just watching their visitor.

Owen quirked a little smile.

"They have prospered," Masrani remarked.

Grady said nothing, felt the presence of Blue grow, felt the others perk up and listen in.

"I'm glad this turned out the way it did."

Owen looked at him. He had talked to Masrani a few times in the past year, the last time after signing the new contract that gave him sole authority over his pack, gave him this pack. It had been like a gift, but no strings attached.

"Will you be there for the grand opening tomorrow?"

Owen shrugged. "Maybe. Not my gig, really. I'm working behind the scenes."

"I'm not asking you to cut the ribbon and hold a speech." Masrani smiled disarmingly.

"I'll check around the enclosures," Owen amended.

It was what he had planned to do anyway. The past twelve months a routine had developed. He liked to drop by the others, talk, get updates on their packs, herds or solitary animals. It was the time to reconnect with what it meant to be human and to test his abilities.

"You are doing an incredible job, Owen," Masrani told him, expression serious and thankful in one. "You're doing more than anyone could expect of you. I gave you the autonomy and the pack because I know what this means, how deep it goes."

Owen felt the presence of his beta, possessive, attentive, suspicious. She hadn't moved, was staring at Masrani, and the CEO gave a breathy laugh.

"She knows what we are talking about."

It wasn't even a question.

"I wish Henry could have seen what he had created. It was a hit and miss idea. Like the first step before the i-rex."

"The i-rex was insanity."

They had talked about it often before, always the same arguments. They never reached a common ground, though both knew it could never happen again.

"It was. Mistakes were made. Fatal mistakes." Masrani looked a little gray at the memories that were running through his head. "It wasn't her fault. We made her instead of letting her grow."

"You made her to connect to a preternatural," Owen said, voice cold. That was one of the old arguments that regularly came up again. "You can't force either. Even raising her from the egg might not have been enough to prevent the disaster. She was a psychopath."

Masrani nodded slowly, eyes on the raptors below. "The velociraptors weren't. We did something right with them."

Owen couldn't but agree because they were his now. His pack. His girls. He was as possessive of them as they were of their alpha. Those years had left their mark and he couldn't think of ever being without them in his head.

Blue rumbled and the others chittered, looking up at the two men. Charlie growled softly, then snorted sharply at the billionaire.

"They know," Masrani murmured. "Near-human intelligence in a dinosaur body. Terrifying and exciting in one." He pushed back from the safety rail. "You don't happen to have a beer?"

Owen chuckled. "I think I can scrounge one up."

They walked back into the house, Owen grabbed two beers from the fridge, and both men settled on the back porch.

Talking was strangely easy.

x XX JW XX x

Masrani left an hour later, eyes straying to the raptor paddock one last time, then he climbed into the still waiting car. The trooper had refused to join them, but he had accepted the bottle of water Owen had offered. Elijah John had stood guard, tense and ready for anything, and his expression when he had looked at the paddock had been apprehensive.

Owen watched the car disappear, then walked back into the house. He felt like just going out into the restricted area and disappearing for a few days was a really good idea, but the opening was tomorrow.

Everyone was getting ready for that.

And he had a job to do here.

tbc...


	35. Chapter 35

One year after the i-rex incident the park reopened. The first day it was invited guests only. Hundreds of them, all either rich, famous, influential, family friends or business partners. Simon Masrani hosted the event like a pro. The media accompanied them, showed Jurassic World from its best side. They had been hand-picked, specially selected, and none of them were infamous investigative journalists.

Isla Nublar was swarming with tourists two days after that. Ticket sales had reached a high, selling out after just a few hours, and the park was booked solid for the next six months.

Owen Grady was there when the gates opened and Jurassic World was once more a first rate theme park. He was working behind the scenes, as before, as always.

He checked the T-Rex Kingdom, dropped in on Nancy between feeding shows, and he watched the children and adults with the babies at the Gentle Giants Petting Zoo.

All back to normal.

Security was tight.

As before.

There were cameras, there were the troopers, there were the keepers carrying comms. No visitors really saw them, but they were ever-present.

Owen nodded at Carter when he walked into the main control room.

"No major incidents," the chief of security said with an almost-smile. "Lost kids, stomach aches from too much food, sweets or otherwise, a few arguments leading to major verbal fights, and as always someone trying to smoke in a bathroom or in a hidden corner. Oh, and one guy trying to pick some flowers for his girlfriend."

Owen crossed his arms in front of his chest, eyes on the multitude of screens that gave him a good view of every corner of the park.

"Normal," he commented.

"Probably."

He shot Carter a grin. "That's normal, take my word for it. You might get some fights here or there, too. Or a guy trying to climb onto a baby dinosaur. A few years ago there was someone hiking toward the restricted area with some friends, out to have fun in the spooky old park."

Dan snorted. "How's your surveillance working out?"

"Looks good. I'll make a round in a few days, check locations and so on. Want to tag along?"

"Only if the hype dies down, which we both know won't." Carter shrugged. "Take a tracker with you. And a radio."

"Always do. There are no storm warnings. Season is over."

"With your luck…"

Owen chuckled. "I take that as my cue to leave again. Have fun, Dan. See you later."

And he walked out of the main control room, nodding at the guards outside.

Time to get back home and do some work.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

"Wow, what a first week, hm?"

Laurel looked flushed, still wearing her work clothes, hair a little wild. She had ahalf-eaten burrito in one hand.

Owen grinned at her.

"People are like crazy!" she added. "It's not like we just opened for the first time."

"Just reopened after a year," Owen reminded her as he handed the t-rex keeper a bottle of her favorite flavored water.

Laurel took it and unscrewed the cap. "Still not a sensation. They're not gawking at the park. It's the animals." She took a big gulp. "Feeding times were packed! Waiting hours for the gyrospheres are nearly an hour. And you could hardly walk in Main Street because of all the people."

"Just see it as job security."

"Funny, Grady. I need a shower. See you later. Say hello to your four better halves."

Owen chuckled and gave her a wave, then walked off. It was hot today and he didn't plan to do more than enjoy a lazy day and postpone everything else until temperatures dropped.

The pack had been more tempered, too, seeking out the shade of the trees inside the paddock and dozing. Owen would take them out after the park closed at ten, make it a dusk-till-dawn hunt, and catch some sleep tomorrow morning when they got back.

Or camp out in the wild to get some shut-eye while the pack did their thing.

According to the forecast there was a possibility of light rain and wind tomorrow, though that didn't dampen the visitors' spirits. It just gave the animals some relief, not to mention the park employees.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

His days had never been routine. With the opening of the park Owen Grady's days had become even less routine. There were no shows for him, no tours, but he was one of the go-to guys on the island, ranking on the same level as Claire Dearing and Dan Carter. He was also one of the first responders when there was dinosaur trouble, mostly because of his strong talent. He helped out where he could.

The presence of the other dinosaurs never changed. It didn't get stronger, thankfully. The t-rex was only moderately interested in him, but she did come when he tried calling her. The same was true for the mosa. The other predators were completely disinterested in the human alpha. The herbivores simply checked whether he meant harm, then went about their own business.

x XX JW XX x

Alan had started to come by every other day, always shooting the raptor enclosure a narrow-eyed look, as if checking whether or not the gates were open.

The girls were always on their best behavior when he was around. Model dinosaurs. They did the same with Carter, who shot them suspicious looks and called them good actors.

Charlie was affronted by the very idea she would act. Echo didn't know why humans believed the pack would try to deceive them in their behavior. Delta couldn't care less and Blue was simply watchful. With her direct connection to Owen she understood a little more than the others, who were learning through their pack beta. She understood the reluctance, the suspicion, and the downright distrust.

_They fear what can hurt and kill them_, had been her only comment one night when Owen was busy with the stables.

"Humans likes to think they're the top of the food chain. Reviving dinosaurs taught them different. No technology in the world can match you guys."

Blue's tilted head spoke of what she was thinking. Owen smiled and cleaned up the last dirty corner.

"A wise man once said that life finds a way. I agree. Life always finds a way."

_Life gave me you guys._

She pushed her nose against his neck, warm air rushing over the soft skin, and Owen felt the warm rush of all four minds surrounding his. He embraced them back.

Life – and Wu and Keller – had given him those four raptors. He was more than thankful.

x XX JW XX x

The pack had accepted Dr. Alan Grant as an extension of the pack in form of an ally, possibly friendly, but to be watched. Even if he stumbled upon one of the four, he would be treated with utmost respect and polite distance. Unless he threatened them.

Owen was proud of his girls. He told them so repeatedly.

Alan was a man with a form of reluctant PTSD. It had been twenty years, but like a war veteran he was prone to reliving moments only he could see, moments when his life had been threatened one way or the other. Visiting the T-Rex Kingdom was as much therapy as spending time at Owen's place.

He would sit and watch the raptors.

He would sit and watch Owen with the raptors.

He would even stay on the porch as the pack was let out for a run and hunt, muzzled and looking as peaceful as a pack of sheep.

But Alan Grant drew the line at touching any kind of predator. Even through the fence.

Owen had heard from the others that he would walk among the babies, touch them, help Themming examine them, give them shots, and so on. He would even go for a walk with Reggie as he talked Alan's ear off about the herds.

Echo was almost miffed at the favoritism.

x XX JW XX x

"She what?" Alan asked, looking slightly perplexed.

Owen shrugged. "She wonders why you don't fear the others. They are prey animals, but they are big enough to trample you. One wrong move and they can crush you or, in the triceratopes' case, gut you with their horns. Not to mention the stegosaurs or ankylosaurs. They aren't slow and stupid. Like a cow, if threatened they can be extremely dangerous. And they are a lot bigger than a cow."

Alan's eyes strayed over to the enclosure. None of the raptors were to be seen.

"It's a matter of personal experience," he said slowly, like he was talking to Echo herself.

Owen didn't comment, let his friend walk with his own thoughts. He simply returned to his spreadsheet and the feeds from his cameras and sensors.

x XX JW XX x

About two hours later, Owen surfaced from his note-taking and reviewing only to find Alan hadn't returned yet. He sent a wordless inquiry and Blue gave an amused reply.

_He is visiting._

Alarm raced through him and Owen jogged over to the enclosure.

Alan was in the viewing area, sitting down, back against the metal wall behind him, just watching the raptors go about their lives. His eyes were hidden behind shades, there was a water bottle beside him, and he looked almost relaxed.

Just almost.

"Hey," Owen said.

It got him a half-smile and a nod.

Grady sat down next to him, casting a quick, professional eye into the enclosure. Nothing was amiss. Everyone was calm and either dozing or snooping around the undergrowth, looking for any kind of animal that might have been stupid enough to get in.

Sometimes there were.

But never for long.

"Today is working raptor day, isn't it?" Alan remarked after a moment.

Owen nodded. "We'll be heading out in two hours. The main rush will be over then and the gallimimus keepers want a head count. Themming ordered a series of shots for them, too."

Grant just watched as Charlie pounced on what looked like a small lizard. She missed and the reptile was gone in a flash, but Charlie chased after it.

Delta was watching curiously, then stalked after the hunting pack sister.

They were scuffling over the tiny lizard minutes later.

Alan almost smiled.

Owen chuckled. "Want to come along?" he asked when it became clear that neither raptor had the prey and both were starting to hunt for the lizard again.

"Gary offered to let me give some of the gallimimus their shots. I'm interested in seeing them up close and personal."

"Just not the velociraptors?"

The older man was silent, then shifted his attention to where Charlie pounced and gave a guttural cry of success.

"Let's call it a first step," he finally said.

Owen nodded.

Down below, Blue looked at the two men, her presence with Owen strong and unwavering.

_First step?_

_Yeah_, her alpha agreed.

"They are mesmerizing."

Owen glanced at his friend as they descended from the viewing area. Blue was next to the metal bars, eyes sliding to look at their visitor.

If Alan noticed, he didn't react to the attention he had garnered.

"I've always been fascinated by them, even as a kid, and over the decades so much has changed what paleontologists have discovered. Hammond made the raptors to be an attraction, to be a show, even though they weren't accurate."

"They were back then."

Alan shrugged. "He had no pure gene pool. He mixed what he thought was helpful into the whole mess. He got raptors and they were wild and amazing and completely, utterly lethal. A mistake."

Blue's nostrils opened wider, but she made no sound. Owen felt her with him, attentive, interested, curious.

"And then Site B got out of control and they started to evolve. The feathers were an addition the science world discovered a little later and they proved that it was fact. But Hammond had made them bigger, mixed more into them, almost like Masrani and their indominus rex."

Blue's spike of annoyance and anger didn't catch Owen by surprise. He knew his pack

Alan finally turned his head, meeting Blue's eyes, and it didn't take a genius to notice the tension going through his body. He was looking at something that still haunted him and he was trying to fight the flight reaction.

Blue held perfectly still.

Owen just watched.

_He tries_, she told him. _And yet he fears me. Us. Maybe even you sometimes._

_Nope, I don't think he fears me. He thinks you're a horror that will kill me one day, but doesn't fear me, the person._

_He knows you have power. Alpha. You have touched others, too._

The last was said with jealousy and slight possessiveness. The pack didn't like other dinosaurs touching their alpha's mind and Owen didn't really like that ability either. It had already once nearly overwhelmed him.

"You'd think I could get used to this," Alan said, his soft words interrupting Owen's musings.

"You don't have to. It's not your job to work with them. And you're not the only one to be afraid of the predators in the park."

Alan scowled. "More people with a sense of survival," he pointed out.

Owen grinned, totally at ease, and Blue pushed her nose against the fence, snorting.

"You want me to start raptor therapy?" Grady asked playfully. "I don't even charge much."

"Just a limb?"

"They'd just chew on it a little."

Blue snorted again, rumbling, as if affronted. Alan raised his eyebrows. Owen simply shrugged.

"No, seriously," he finally said. "Even if you just want to sit here and look at them, be my guest. If you want to head out with us to the restricted area, you're more than welcome. If you never want to come back here, the same."

"Not the latter," Alan told him immediately. "It's not like getting back on that horse that threw you off, but I can work with just… looking." He smiled a little.

Blue chuffed, tilting her head. Echo had padded over, making soft, inquisitive noises. Alan's hands were curled into fists.

_His heart rate went up_, was Blue's comment. _Prey animal reaction._

"I think it's enough for today," Owen decided.

"Don't coddle me, kid!"

"Not coddling, Looking out for a friend. I don't want you to have a coronary while on my premises. Bad press."

Alan scowled, but he followed Owen as he walked away from the raptor enclosure.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

The 'working raptors' functioned like clock-work and Owen was with them on his bike, guiding them, his orders sharp and precise.

When the gallimimus were in the corralling area, the gates locked, the raptors trotted over to their alpha, looking pleased. Owen let them brush against him. None was muzzled and as always they drew looks that were a mix between horror, fascination and disbelief.

Alan was with the keepers, Themming, Kozinski and the workers behind the safety gates. Owen did a quick visual check on his pack, found no injuries – gallimimus could kick and bite – and told them to stay put for a moment.

"This will take a while," Grant told him as he joined him by the gallimimus.

The herd wasn't happy to be corralled. They were bleating and calling, pushing against one another, but the workers singled them out, calm and professional, putting them into the holding pens for Themming and Kozinski to check them, then give them their shots.

"Gary offered to drive me back to the hotel."

"Good. I'm taking them back the long way. I want to check on some of the back roads. They also need some time to wind down." Owen gave Alan a closer look. "You doing okay?"

"Fine. Just fine. Good work out there." Alan smiled a little more.

"Thanks. From all of us." Owen gave him a cheeky little grin.

Alan huffed a laugh. He looked at the pack, standing close together, watching, waiting, all professional and business-like. They were still in work mode. Blue was looking back, calm as they came.

"You got a full day ahead tomorrow," Owen remarked.

"Same as you."

They were heading out to the cameras to do a physical check. Owen also needed to work on the bond some more, especially shielding from unwanted intrusions, and that was best done alone. Him and the pack, no one else. Away from the workers, the trainers, the park. The pack wasn't happy about such training sessions, because it meant other dinosaurs would intrude, but they accepted that it was necessary.

"Have fun," Alan just said, managing to sounding dubious.

Owen grinned brightly. "Same to you." He whistled and the raptors perked up. "Let's go, girls!"

tbc...


	36. Chapter 36

This time it wasn't just about shielding.

It was also about branching out his mind again, touching the pack's individuals and riding along as they ran and chased, stalked and waited motionlessly for their prey to make the wrong move.

Owen had learned from the previous times that fighting the pull of the raptor wasn't helping, that he needed to slide along the bond and just be.

With Blue it was easy.

Taking on the other three, too… that was the challenge. Splitting his mind like he was watching four TV screens simultaneously wasn't easy.

But Owen was determined and he knew his brain was capable of it. He was preternatural and he had forged this evolving bond. Sometimes it needed a nudge.

So he nudged it.

He had chosen the safety of one of the spots they usually sought out in the restricted area, making himself comfortable, eyes closed, and then he was off. They were off, the pack.

Owen watched, attentive, never interfering, and he fell into an easy rhythm.

Blue welcomed him, letting him ancho safely as he spread to the other three. Delta wasn't happy about the backseat rider, Charlie felt indifferent, and Echo was her bouncy self.

None of them tried to kick him out or actively shut him off, so he counted that as a success.

x XX JW XX x

The training session went without a hitch, though Owen was left with a faint thrum in the back of his head, like an ache that wasn't turning into anything else. It was simply there.

He had been rather successful, though. Not only had the piggy-backing been an amazing experience, Owen could easily tell apart the different dinosaur minds now, by species, though not by individual. He had picked them up the moment one of the pack got close to the enclosures, approaching from a direction where no tourist would see them.

Some were stronger, some were pack minds. Of course, the rex and the mosa were very distinguished and both knew him by now, almost responding to his mind touch. He didn't need to be close to feel them because they were so unique.

Blue stuck to him like glue the first hour after he pulled back from his exploration of the other minds around him, looking far from happy.

"Has to be done," he only said when she grumbled her displeasure at him.

_They have no right to share you. Even if you are the alpha, you are of our pack, not theirs._

"Noted. But they are there and I have to deal with it."

Yes, he had. They all had.

He was the alpha. He was powerful enough to go beyond his pack status.

x XX JW XX x

There were hardly any troopers along the backroads running past the t-rex enclosure. The few Owen saw gave him a respectful nod, guns a little more at the ready than without the raptors around, but they didn't look too trigger happy.

They ran into Dan Carter and the chief of security raised an eyebrow as Owen raised his arm, hand a fist, telling them to stop.

"Taking them for a walk?"

Blue chuffed, tilting her muzzled head. She flexed her claws. She wasn't a dog. Owen shot her a warning look.

Carter's expression was calculating and sharp. "Trying to impress me, lady?"

She chuffed again, now intrigued by his direct address.

"Making friends or trying to get a rise out of them?" Owen asked coolly, aware that the others were more than ready for a challenge.

"Maybe a little bit of both." Carter shot him a humorless smile. "Relax, Grady. I'm not here for you or them. We got a pair of adventurers who tried to sneak into the off-limits area behind the t-rex paddock. Got them sorted out just a few minutes ago."

"Adventurers, hm?" Owen snorted. "What were they trying to prove?"

"Well, looks like he was trying to show her that he's a real tough guy. He wanted an up and close selfie with a rex."

"Good way to get eaten."

"We got them before they made it even three steps into the enclosure."

Carter studied the pack, who was shooting looks at the t-rex paddock. Blue met his gaze, snorting.

"They don't like her."

"They don't like her interest in me," Owen said truthfully.

It got him a surprised look. Then Carter's expression changed as it dawned in him what those words meant.

"Geez, Grady."

He shrugged. "So, do we get a personal escort?"

Carter chuckled. "I think you got a good escort right there. I'll head back to the office. My guess are processing that knucklehead and then they're off the island. With a ban. No returns for them."

"Have fun with that."

"Oh, I will."

He nodded at Owen, then at the raptors, meeting Blue's eyes. The pack beta nodded back.

Carter's expression was shifting, the man valiantly trying not to let his shock and surprise show, but he was failing.

"Fuck," he breathed, then turned on his heels like a soldier who had been dismissed.

"Shocked him, ladies." He grinned at Blue. "You did that on purpose."

_He talked to me._

"Ah, yes, you were simply polite."

She pushed her nose against his shoulder, then brushed by him, a fully body contact, and he gave her a slap on the rump.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Owen's parents arrived a few days later. He had extended an open invitation for them to come whenever they wanted. The Hilton had an apartment for them, which his mother decided was too posh but thank you very much.

They had met the pack throughout the past years only once, in the beginning. As teenagers and only viewed from the platforms.

Now they were still in the enclosure and Owen's parents were still on the platform, but the raptors had changed.

Because of their alpha.

Blue looked up at her alpha's parents, studying them with curiosity.

"She's beautiful," his mother remarked. "They all are. They come after you."

Owen laughed. "They are not my children. I raised them and trained them, but I'm not their parent."

"The alpha protects and nourishes. He leads." His father nodded at the pack below. "And he teaches. You did really well."

"Thanks," he said softly. "They taught me a lot in turn."

"It's a lifetime commitment."

They were all aware of it. He had talked to his mother and father often enough, that coming home was okay for maybe a week, but he could never leave the pack for good.

Those were the time Owen wished his grandfather was still alive. Or his grandmother. His grampa had been like him, though not as strong, and he had understood so much more than his parents could ever hope to, even if they tried.

The pack was his life.

His girls.

"Ready for the big tour now? Family special?" Owen asked lightly, pushing the wave of mourning away.

His mother gave him a smile, understanding so much without him having to spill it out.

"Lead the way."

His mother took his hand and squeezed it before Owen got in the jeep.

In the back of his mind, Blue sat like the warm, steady anchor she was to him.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Alan was far from relaxed around the raptors.

Even two months into his consultant position.

Owen never called him on it, especially when it became clear that while he did not actively try to get out of going to Owen's place, he never dropped by out of the blue either. They usually met around the theme park, mostly after Alan's lectures or when Owen was visiting his friends.

Alan was quite interested in Reggie's work with the apatosaurs, the triceratopes and the stegosaurs. He even spent an afternoon with Nancy at the lagoon, watching her work with the mosa and then asking her a ton of questions.

He had met the Gradys when Owen had shown his family around. Owen didn't really want to know what his parents were telling his friend about him. There had been laughs and knowing looks when Owen had returned with the drinks, Alan's eyes alight with amusement.

"I won't ask," Owen had sighed.

"Good idea."

His father had just chuckled and accepted the lite beer. His mother had simply smiled.

x XX JW XX x

They left three days later.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

It was an accident that the professor was at Owen's place when the pack came back from an overnight stay in the restricted area. Owen had been working on shelters, using old buildings and bunkers, and he had spent the night in one of those shelters.

Alan stood frozen to the spot when the four raptors arrived, all stopping a good distance away and regarding the visitor with calm curiosity. Delta huffed, rumbling a questions. Charlie chattered until Blue snapped at her, positioning herself so she was between the pack and their alpha's friend.

They knew him.

They didn't actively threaten or warn him off.

Blue regarded him with what went for a neutral expression in a raptor face, nostrils blowing wide once, taking in his scent. She huffed a little, like a soft question, but Alan didn't speak raptor and he wasn't preternatural.

All he could think of was not to move, not to run. Running was an invitation for the chase.

Charlie made a clicking sound, inquisitive, curious even, and stepped forward. Blue growled and the lower-ranked raptor moved back, snorting. Delta growled at her sister.

The house wasn't that far away, but it would be a flimsy barrier for a determined velociraptor. They could get in through the windows, using enough force, as well as the doors, if they threw their weight against it.

The stables weren't that far either, but Alan doubted he could reach them.

And running was an invitation to chase, he repeated to himself in his head.

Those were Owen's raptors. They weren't like the wild packs. They weren't hunting him.

Blue tilted her head, chuffing again. She barked at her pack and received varying reactions, from Echo turning and heading for the paddock to Charlie muttering to herself but following, and Delta growling her displeasure. Blue just snapped at her and the other raptor snarled, but she went, too.

Alan refused to be relived. He was still out in the open, there was still a fast and deadly predator looking at him, and he had seen enough people get killed by dinosaurs because people underestimated them.

x XX JW XX x

Owen hadn't been far behind the pack when they had returned home. It had never been a problem and his girls knew the drill, but today was different.

Today, Alan had shown up unplanned and unannounced.

He stopped the bike next to Blue, who was as calm and relaxed as they came. She radiated an air of casualness that had him want to laugh, except laughing wasn't exactly what they needed right now.

Charlie, Delta and Echo were near the entrance, waiting, especially since Echo still wore the harness and saddle bags, and Charlie and Delta had head cams. The drill was to wait for the alpha, get relieved of the gear, then go into the paddock.

All three were watching.

"Fuck," he whispered softly.

Alan's face had gone shockingly white. His lips were almost bloodless, gray, his eyes standing out brightly blue, pupils blown, and there was a faint tremor going through him.

But he wasn't running.

Good.

Delta trilled softly, almost too low for human ears. Blue rumbled, looking at the other raptor, telling her clearly to not move.

"Girls," Owen said out loud, catching their attention. He raised a hand at the three waiting velociraptors. "Stay. Echo. You're first."

Routine was good. Routine was familiar.

So Echo remained where she was. She waited to be relieved of her saddle bags, making pleased little sounds.

"Yeah, you did good as always, girl. Now don't scare the guest. Best behavior."

Of course she was on her best behavior, she told him. Alan Grant was Owen's friend and to be treated with respect and not threatened or worse.

Owen smiled as he undid the harness with practiced ease, dumping the saddle bags in a corner, He patted her neck.

"That's my Echo. Off you go. Delta, Charlie, over here. You're next."

He was quite aware of Alan still standing frozen to the spot, but he needed to go through the motions. The pack needed this to be normal.

"Heads," he ordered.

Charlie had already lowered her head and Delta hummed as he undid the straps.

He removed the head cams, then gave them the hand signals to get into the gated area where Echo was already waiting.

Owen held up his hand, palm out. "Stay inside."

They whuffled their agreement.

He went back to his pack beta. Blue, still standing where she had stopped, nuzzled at her alpha's shoulder and Owen scratched her jaw. Alan's eyes no longer looked so blown, but he was so tense he might break something.

"Alan, it's okay," Owen told him calmly.

"Not so sure," the older man whispered.

_He could learn. Now. Let him._

_He's not ready, Blue. He might never be. Now let's give him some room. You and the others take a break. Good work._

She chuffed, pointedly walking past in front of her alpha and seeking as much body contact as possible, then she went into the enclosure. Owen had followed and now locked the gate doors.

"Alan?" he asked, voice calm and level.

His friend drew a deep breath, visibly pulling himself together.

"Yeah," he managed, voice a little shaky. "I'm good… now. Damn, that wasn't fun."

"You weren't in any danger. You'll never be from them."

"They tell you that?" Alan snapped, then ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry. I know they're not like the pack from twenty years ago, but they're raptors, kid."

"Since birth."

Alan gave him a dark look at the little joke. He looked over to the enclosure.

Owen wondered if this was like fear of dogs. He had known a guy in the military who had been scared shitless of dogs. He had been bitten as a child and ever since any kind of dog bigger than a handbag had terrified him. He could tolerate smaller breeds, but only if the dog in question was extremely peaceful. One woof and he was breaking out in sweat.

One of the handlers had mentioned therapy, that you could work through this, but Owen doubted Alan's trauma could be dealt with with raptor therapy. This was deep-seated.

"C'mon, let's go inside. I think I still have some soda."

tbc...


	37. Chapter 37

It came as a massive surprise, close to a shock, to find Alan on his doorstep five weeks later, backpack in hand, dressed in his habitual hat, scuffed hiking boots, a pair of jeans and a dark blue shirt.

"Good morning?" Owen greeted him, making it a question.

"You're off for another run today," Alan stated.

"Yeah. We're going to snoop around the old enclosures, check out a few areas I haven't been to all too often."

"Good." Alan nodded. "I'm coming along."

Owen's eyebrows climbed a little. "You are," he echoed, stating another fact.

Alan's expression was one of stubborn challenge.

"Well, you are," Grady shrugged, deciding to just accept his friend's decision. "We can take the jeep. Let me just get the girls ready. If you want coffee, there's still some in the thermos."

"No, I'm good."

Alan stayed back, watched Owen harness Echo and put the cameras on Delta and Charlie. Blue was glancing over to their guest, curious, quizzical.

_He has found courage._

_He's stubborn_, Owen replied. _And maybe it'll help._

_We'll do our best._

He smiled and brushed his hand over her side, giving his thanks.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Delta's scream echoed through the jungle and Owen's head, making him cry out in surprise almost simultaneously. All four had a connection to him, not just as a pack, as individuals, but aside from Blue, the others had never been that forward. It was the privilege of the pack beta.

Owen could hear them, could distinguish their voices in his head. They addressed him with respect as their alpha, but they never talked casually, like Blue did.

Delta's contact wasn't casual.

It was filled with pain and fear, shrieking through the connection and making Owen gasp with the intensity. It was unexpected, it was terrifying, and it was crippling.

_hurthurthurthurtPAIN!_

Owen squeezed his eyes shut and panted, pushing back against Delta's almost overwhelming presence, her agony, her anger, her fear.

_There was blood running down his leg. He was trapped and helpless, spikes of agony shooting across his body._

Blue was suddenly there, inserting herself between Delta and her alpha, creating a shield. She was a buffer, not cutting the bond, just controlling the input, and Owen drew a deep breath of relief.

His hands encountered warm, leathery skin and he briefly leaned against the strong body, felt the coiled strength, heard the deep rumble.

_Delta!_ Owen called.

She screamed again.

_Torn flesh, blood, pain. So much pain. Trappedfearangerterrorpain!_

And he was off, following the cries, Blue at his side, Charlie and Echo barking from somewhere not too far away. They were calling, urgent and fearful.

Owen crashed through the underbrush, small branches slapping against his clothes and skin. He was dimly aware of Alan's calls, of him yelling something, but he couldn't take the time to answer.

This was urgent.

This was overwhelmingly urgent.

Then he was there, panting, eyes on his raptor. He felt anger and pain rise in him. Shared anger and pain.

"Shit!" he breathed, taking in the sight.

This was bad. So very, very bad!

Delta lay not far away, down a softly sloping incline that ended in a hollow. There was grass growing everywhere, tall, green stalks, interspersed with small trees and rubble. She cried out as he came to a stop out. Her right leg was wrapped tightly in what looked like barbed wire. Blood was running down her leg as she struggled to get up.

"Delta! Stop! Don't move!" Owen ordered, voice sharp and like a whiplash.

She did.

Eyes with pupils blown wide stared at him. She was panting through the pain and from the looks of it Delta had struggled a lot.

Owen had his hand palm out, approaching the downed raptor as quickly as he dared on the slippery ground.

"That's a good girl. Just stay calm. You'll only hurt yourself more."

The grass that had hidden the wire and the coils hadn't been visible. They were twisted, looked rusted in places, and the long prongs were hooked.

"Shh, it's okay. Keep still. It gets worse if you struggle."

He reached along the bond, holding the scared presence, felt her animalistic side so powerful and near-paralyzing against his human mind, but he wasn't just the alpha by name. He was bonded and he was in charge.

His mind could take this, work with this.

He wasn't prey to be stopped cold in his tracks. He could fight back and he was stronger than her.

Owen pushed forward, through the confusion and the fear, brushing over the core that was Delta.

"Hey, Delta," he murmured, seeking her eyes, holding the panicked gaze.

It was a panic he felt everywhere along the bond, that touched the others and confused them. Echo and Charlie were nervously pacing along the border of the grass, aware of the danger, aware of one of their own down and seriously hurt.

Owen still had one hand up. "Eyes on me, Delta. Just look at me and let me look at you. It'll be okay."

She whimpered.

"I know it hurts. So very much. And I'll get you out of there."

_We have her. _

The pack was there, cushioning their fourth member and Delta gurgled a little, pupils still blown wide, panting.

_Keep her calm_, Owen ordered and carefully reached for the wound.

The terrible, terrible wound that was a long cut following the wire wrapped around the leg.

Fuck, it looked bad. He would have to cut it off her.

"I'm here," he murmured when Delta twitched, hissing a warning. "We'll get through this."

Blue gave a warning growl, looking at the other raptor, lips pulling back over sharp teeth. Delta hissed again, but she didn't try to snap at Owen.

"Owen?"

He looked over his shoulder, surprised to see Alan at the top of the incline, just a few feet away from Echo and Charlie. He looked muddied and a little out of breath, but from his expression he couldn't care less. His attention was on Owen and Delta.

"Damnit," he professor breathed.

"Alan, I need the medical kit," Grady called. "Echo!" He whistled sharply. "Hold still! Good girl. Let Alan get the kit!"

Echo trilled.

Alan's whole posture tensed and he looked at the raptor no ten feet away from him. Echo had her head cocked, stood perfectly still, waiting. He chittered, shifting a little to indicate that he could take the bag from her.

Owen turned back to his patient, trusting in his pack not to do something stupid. Blue was watching Echo and Alan with no sign of alarm coming through the bond. Delta had laid down her head, was still panting, her pain getting worse as the shock passed.

Owen tightened his mental hold.

"Owen."

He turned and smiled grimly at Alan, who had slid down to him, carrying the saddle bag that contained the medi kit and tools.

"Good work," he said quietly, giving the older man a nod.

Grant's complexion was ashen.

He knew what he had asked of Alan. He had had to get close to a raptor, get the bag off the harness. It was a situation out of a nightmare for anyone who wasn't Owen Grady, and for Alan it had been even worse.

Echo had worked beautifully with the professor, holding still, letting him get the bag without a problem.

_You did good_, he told her. _Thank you, Echo. Good girl._

She yipped.

"Thanks," Owen added to Alan. "I think I need help."

The rest remained unspoken. The only help was Alan Grant and the man was currently so far out of his depths, right in the middle of his worst nightmare, Owen wasn't sure how he might react.

Alan looked at the seriously injured raptor, then his gaze strayed to Blue, who kept watch with singular attention, keeping her pack mate and her alpha safe.

He finally nodded, pale as a sheet but with a decisive expression in his eyes. "What do you need?"

"I'm going to cut the wire off, then remove it from her flesh. There's a wire cutter in there, as well as several syringes with anesthetics and antibiotics. Anesthetics first. I don't want her in more pain than necessary."

"I can do that."

Owen was glad of that.

"You think she'll let you?" Alan added.

"She will."

Delta whined softly.

Alan worried his lower lip, then his eyes were on Owen. "How?"

"I'm her alpha, Alan."

There was a moment of silence, then Grant's eyes widened a little. "Bonded," he murmured. "Okay." He inhaled and slowly let out a breath. "This is fucked up."

Owen smiled humorlessly. "It is. And we can do this, Professor."

"Let's."

He still held the pained mind, soothed Delta with his presence, the alpha an integral part of her safety. Blue rumbled softly, reassuringly, meeting his eyes and nodding.

They could do this.

It would be fine.

_Charlie, Echo, keep watch. Attention on the jungle_, he ordered.

He got a yip and bark of confirmation, then the two others moved to their watcher positions. Alan glanced briefly at them, then his attention was on the operation.

The syringes and the anesthetics had been given to Owen by Dr. Themming, who had agreed with his argument that he might need a first aid kit that was a little different from the regular versions. Owen was skilled at small surgical procedures and giving shots. He could clean and staple the wounds. Everything else they had to see.

Delta gave a breathy whine, but she barely twitched when he placed the shots.

"Hope this'll work quickly," Grady murmured.

Alan read the labels. "This is strong stuff. She'll be numb for a while."

"Fingers crossed."

When Delta started to relax as the pain was fading into a background throb, Owen took the cutters and began his work.

There was blood everywhere.

"Stay," he told Delta softly as she lifted her head for a moment. "We'll protect you. We'll get you out of there."

She lowered her head again, eyes at half mast.

Alan proved to be a very capable nurse. Owen told him so, drawing a tight smile from his friend.

"These are deep," Alan murmured as they removed the last piece of wire.

Owen was cleaning the wounds. He had to agree. There would be a lot of stapling.

x XX JW XX x

It took almost three hours to finish the little surgical stint. Owen had removed the barbed wire, cleaned the deep puncture wounds and lacerations, then bathed it all in antibiotic fluids, stapled the worst parts, and finally applied a liquid wrap that shone silver against Delta's gray-green skin. It would protect the open wounds, keep the flies away, and was also antiseptic.

Delta was resting, exhausted and feeling weak. She had lost blood and the pain had drained her. Her eyes were partially closed.

Owen removed his bloodied gloves and gently stroked the raptor's nose. Delta blew warm air into his palm, making soft, rumbly sounds.

"You did good, girl. We'll get you back home. Just rest. Don't get up, okay?"

Blue stood behind Owen, nuzzling his sweaty hair supportively. One sharp-taloned claw came to rest on his shoulder, the razor-like tip pushing ever-so gently against his skin without breaking it. He leaned back, encountering muscular strength that wasn't human, and briefly closed his eyes.

Along the bond Blue was hugging their exhausted alpha, a steady, sturdy balance, an anchor that Owen needed very badly right now. Holding Delta had drained him.

_We'll spend the night here._

It wasn't a question. It was a fact.

"Alan?"

Grant was still there, looking as exhausted as they all were. "We're staying the night," he stated as if he had heard Blue as well.

"I am. The pack is. I want you to drive back, inform Themming. And bring back the pick-up in the morning."

There was a stubborn line forming on Alan's forehead.

"Alan, please."

"I'll bring the pick-up back right away. We still have a few hours of good light. And you need supplies."

"Alan…"

"Don't argue, kid." He rose with a grimace as abused muscles protested. "You take care of her. I'll do the rest."

Owen exhaled sharply, then nodded. "Okay." He didn't have the energy to argue.

"See you later."

Blue hadn't moved the whole time, standing behind Owen, still touching him. She followed Grant's progress up the incline where Echo was standing watch. Alan straightened and, to Owen's absolute surprise and shock, let the raptor push her nose against his shoulder.

And he briefly touched the sinewy neck, a tiny pat as thanks for her cooperation.

"Okay, I'm hallucinating," Grady murmured. "That can't be right."

Blue radiated amusement, pleased.

Owen wasn't sure that his friend was even aware of what he had just done, touching the very predator he was terrified of. Then again, the last hours had been… straining. It might just have been the very catastrophe needed to undo the knot.

Echo accompanied Alan to the jeep, then watched him drive off.

Owen turned back to his patient, briefly closing his eyes again. He needed to wash off the blood, move the rest of the barbed wire as far as he could, then prepare the site for the night.

"Okay, let's get to work," he decided.

tbc...


	38. Chapter 38

Alan was back four hours later, looking wind-blown and more than a little tired. Owen had heard the truck approach a mile away; Blue had been aware of it a lot longer.

"I got the sleeping bags, the tent, an emergency blanket for Delta, enough food and water to last us a day, Themming has been informed and is probably still cursing up a storm, and Claire told me to get you all back safely. She said she'd send Carter if you don't come back by tomorrow."

Alan looked a little bemused at that, tired eyes roaming over the assembled pack. Blue huffed a little, sharing Owen's amusement over the words. Grady got up from where he had been sitting with Delta, who had had her head in his lap and had dozed off.

"Thanks, Alan. I mean it. This was more than you should have done."

"She needs help. You need help. I'm not going to sit in the hotel and wait for daylight."

It was already getting more than a little dusky and they would be in the dark soon. Owen stretched, feeling his muscles protest, and helped Alan unload the pick-up. The tent would be set up in the ditch, next to the injured raptor. They would try to get her onto the pick-up tomorrow.

Owen set up battery-powered lights, pitched the tent with Alan's help, and unrolled the sleeping bags.

"Go. Hunt," he told the pack. "We'll be fine. We got canned ravioli." He grinned a little. "Yum."

Blue snorted a little, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder. Owen reached up and rubbed over it. She had been there the whole time while Charlie and Echo had kept watch, patrolled the area, and chased off a monkey or two. She embraced him, warm and heavy against his mind, his trusted anchor and balance.

_You need rest. Just sleep._

"Will do," he murmured. "Good hunt. Don't bring anything back home. I don't want to find a half-dead lizard in my sleeping bag."

She playfully bumped against his shoulder again, then straightened.

The adrenaline had worn off a while ago and Owen felt shaky and a little off balance, but he couldn't give in. He needed to be strong. He was the alpha.

_You are strong. You don't have to prove it, Owen. _

He gave her a smile. Blue hummed, then barked at the others to hunt for an evening snack.

Alan watched them go, shoulders sagging a little. "How is she?" he asked, nodding at Delta.

"Exhausted. I gave her another shot, checked the wounds, which look rather good, and fed her water. I found some nutrient paste and she ate that, too. Knowing raptor metabolism she should be up enough tomorrow to get onto the pick-up. It's a nasty flesh wound, but she didn't break anything and the cuts don't go deep enough to be dangerous."

"Infection is a possibility."

"I drowned the leg in antibiotics, gave her two shots to help, and raptors have a very strong immune system."

"Not when it comes to some strains of the human flu."

Owen scowled. Alan just shrugged and settled on his sleeping bag, looking older than his years.

"Damn, I didn't plan on something like this happening for my first raptor therapy session."

Owen laughed and sat down beside him. He felt as drained as Alan looked. "Yeah, I guess. But you know what they say: jump in with both feet."

Alan snorted inelegantly. "How about those ravioli now?"

"Got any beer to wash it down?"

"You're not getting any alcohol until we get that raptor of yours safely back home."

"Yes, Dad."

"Don't you start, young man."

The banter felt good. Owen relaxed a little more, eyes straying over to the almost peacefully resting Delta. She was watching him through half-closed eyes and Owen smiled, giving her reassurance through the bond.

They would get through this.

Together.

A wrapped-up blanket landed next to him and when he looked at Alan, the older man raised an eyebrow, nodding at Delta.

"Get her covered already. I'll make dinner."

Owen chuckled and opened the blanket's wrapping, then proceeded to wrap it around Delta.

x XX JW XX x

The raptors didn't return to the improvised campsite. Owen felt them close by, watching and guarding, but none of them padded closer or showed herself. They were ghosts, shadows, invisible to the human eye.

It was a matter of respect toward Alan, who was still a little more than nervous about being here. Now and then his eyes strayed over to the dark jungle around them, listening to the calls of nighttime animals, but the most dangerous of them weren't indigenous to the island. They were deadly predators, brought back millions of years past their time, and they were bonded to a mere human being.

Yes, Alan Grant was scared, but he was trying to work through it.

At his own pace.

_Progress_, Blue only remarked cheekily when Owen watched his friend as he prepared for the night.

_Yeah,_ he agreed. _It is. Thanks for playing along._

_He is… useful._

And wasn't that a clue by four, if there was any. Blue sounded a little too smug, too.

Alan was making a lot of headway. The very fact that he had taken the saddle bag off Echo and had then climbed back out of the ditch to where the two guard raptors had been waiting, letting Echo touch him!, had been tell-tale enough.

He was making progress.

Alan Grant might never trust a raptor in his life ever again, but he was extending a little bit of faith when it came to the pack.

Owen couldn't ask for more.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Come morning Owen was up the moment the first light crept through the leave. He hadn't slept a lot that night, frequently checking on Delta and the pack. Blue had silently come back to the makeshift campsite, a ghostly presence in the dark.

Owen had felt her. It wasn't like she had tried to sneak in unawares. She had simply kept silent not to frighten their guest.

And she had stayed until the sky grew brighter.

Alan was still asleep and Owen let him.

Delta looked a lot better. There was no inflammation. The wounds weren't hot to the touch or swollen. A little swelling was okay. She could move her toes when he asked her.

"We'll get you home soon."

Delta sniffed at the silver spray and grumbled in displeasure. It stank.

"Just leave it," Owen told her.

He prepared instant coffee and ate a powerbar, which tasted like sweet cardboard, contemplating their next action.

Getting the injured raptor onto the truck would be a logistics problem. He would have to secure her in a blanket and he had already thought up a possible plan that involved Echo's harness, the winch and a lot of swearing.

x XX JW XX x

Yes, there was a lot of swearing, accompanied by sharp grunts of pain from Delta.

It took them an hour to get the injured raptor out of the ditch, up the incline and onto the truck.

"You owe me a drink," Alan panted when they were finally topside, Delta was on the truck's loading platform, and he could lean against the vehicle. He looked as sweaty and muddy as Owen.

"I owe you a lot more," Owen told him, snapping the last locks into place. "For a lifetime."

Blue rumbled softly, agreeing. She stepped slowly closer, head stretched forward, blowing warm air out of her nostrils. The pack's beta had watched the proceedings, alert and attentive, sometimes warbling a little to keep Delta cooperative when their alpha was trying to help her. Charlie and Echo had been around, guarding and patrolling.

Alan's expression was frozen, but he didn't look ashen and ready to run. He met the reptilian eyes. Blue took another step forward, making a chuffing sound.

"Is that a thank you?" he asked out of the corner of his mouth.

Owen nodded. "Yeah. C'mon, let's go home before Carter sends in the cavalry."

He would come back here, remove the wire, look for more of that, and make sure there were no more traps like that. Right now he had different priorities and the pack wouldn't run here until the alpha declared it safe.

"Echo, Charlie, home!" he called and made a sharp gesture for them to head out. "Blue?"

She nodded and headed off down the road. None of them would stray far from the truck, keeping watch, but he wanted them out of plain sight.

x XX JW XX x

They drove home slowly, every bump making Owen wince a little inside. He felt Delta's constant pain, but there was little he could do. Be there, let her know she was safe, but the pain was a constant.

Alan breathed a sigh of relief when the house came into view. Themming's white SUV with the park's logo and the large, red letters 'Veterinarian' on the side was already there, the man waiting in the shade on the porch. Themming rose and pushed back his baseball cap.

"Welcome back," he called.

Owen got out from behind the wheel. "Thanks for coming."

"That's what I'm here for. Where is my patient?"

Owen gestured at the truck.

"Crap," was Themming's comment when he caught sight of the raptor.

"Quite," Alan said, looking tired and ready to call it a day.

"Where are the others?"

"Around," Owen answered. Blue and the rest of the pack had veered off before they had come into sight of the house. "We'll get her over to the stables and out of the truck," he added, ignoring Themming's slightly apprehensive looks around. "Meet us there."

x XX JW XX x

Owen had put the muzzle on Delta for Themming to treat her. He had insisted on giving her a strong sedative, something Owen had only agreed to because it was the only way the vet would even get close to the velociraptor, and then waited for it to take.

Delta dropped into a sleep not much later and she didn't so much as twitch when Themming probed the stapled wounds. Alan had placed a towel over her eyes, giving Owen a little smile.

"Good work, Grady," Themming lauded as he prepared a shot. "Wounds look clean. No inflammation. The bite of the wire was deep, but not too deep for it to heal without handicapping her. It might add an interesting scar."

"That's the least of anyone's worries."

While Delta was sleeping, Themming checked her completely, even her teeth and tongue. He gave her vitamin shots and antibiotics, then set up an IV to get fluids into her body.

"Just a precaution," he said as they waited for the bag to empty.

He collected his things when the IV was done. Themming closed his bag and nodded at Owen.

"Looks good. Keep an eye on things. I'm leaving you antibiotics that I want you give her on a daily basis." He handed Owen a blister pack. "Two of those, considering her size."

"Will do."

"I'll wake her up in a minute. Not sure anyone should be here while she does. She'll be disoriented and might lash out, even at pack members."

He gave Owen a pointed look which the man in question simply ignored.

He waited until the wake-up shot had been given, then removed the towel. While Alan and Gary locked the door of the stables behind themselves, Owen opened the one leading into the paddock area. He whistled, three sharp, staccato sounds.

It didn't take the pack a minute at all, appearing like silent shadows. Soft grunts and yips could be heard, a chatter amongst them, worried and quizzical.

"She's okay. Waking up. Watch out for her. Don't tease or taunt, girls. She's injured, maybe confused," he ordered. "Let her get back to herself at her own pace. Support only."

Charlie rumbled her agreement, Echo yipped that she would be well-behaved, and Blue was her regal pack beta self.

x XX JW XX x

Owen was in the stables when Delta struggled out of the medical induced sleep, her mind a confused mess, like clouds and fog and syrupy thoughts.

She growled and snorted, hissing in frustration, then the still distant pain of her leg stopped her abruptly. She snarled at Blue, who snapped at her, telling her pack mate to relax and let the others help.

Owen reached along the bond, touched the messed-up mind, and Delta calmed, snuffling a little.

"Yeah, we're good. Just take it easy. Stay down, rest, sleep it off," he told her.

Delta whined a little, but she followed the order.

Charlie and Echo crowded in, and Echo made the first step in settling down beside the injured pack mate, purring reassurance. Charlie followed, creating a dangerous, sharp-toothed and definitely lethal if necessary puppy pile.

Owen had to grin at that thought. "Keep an eye on them. Anything changes, let me know," he told Blue. "And get some rest, too."

_Same to you._

He patted her side and left the stables. The door leading to the paddock remained open, but he locked the enclosure as such.

Themming's SUV was nowhere to be seen, but Carter had arrived. He and Alan sat on the porch. When Owen climbed up the stairs, Alan rose.

"Shower's calling," he announced. "And some good coffee. Food's on you and it'll be steak at Winston's," he told Grady.

Owen laughed. "Sure."

Carter watched Alan walk inside, then he looked at Owen and raised his eyebrows, prompting the other man silently.

"Barbed wire hidden in tall grass. She got caught in it, sliced her up pretty badly, and we evacuated as quickly as possible," Owen reported and shrugged.

Mud flaked off his shoulder and he grimaced.

"There was never a security risk and we drove along the back roads. No tourist saw neither hide nor talon of them."

"Good. What about you?"

"Me?"

"One of your pack was injured. How badly did it reflect back on you?" Carter clarified.

Damn, the man had done his homework. Owen just gave him a calm smile.

"I'm fine. We all are. We got through this, Delta is sleeping off the anesthetic, and she'll heal. The pack is peaceful and we won't be going for any kind of runs in a while. Relax, Carter. Everything is okay."

The other man snorted. "Right." He gave Owen a long, hard look, then, "I thought you would have realized by now that you could trust me."

Owen blinked. "What?"

"You had a radio. You could have called. What you did was send the professor off in a jeep to call the vet, then return with a truck to get the raptor back home. I could have helped, Grady. Just me. No squad of troopers with guns."

He sighed explosively. "I know. Listen, Dan… I trust you won't shoot them on sight and I trust my pack not to eat you or your troopers as long as they don't shoot first."

"Good to know."

"But back there… it was instinctual. A lot of it was. I needed Delta safe and…"

"And I wasn't part of that equation?"

"Sorry. I need to work on that."

Blue's agreement shot through him. She would have trusted the chief of security to help. Owen gave her a thin smile. Sometimes animal instinct was a lot better than human worry and fear.

"Blue would have trusted you," he said softly.

Carter's brows climbed again. "And what does that tell you?"

"That I have crappy alpha instincts."

It got Owen a laugh. "Go and take a shower, Grady. You look like you were dragged through the jungle and then some. And call Claire."

Owen gave him a sloppy salute. He would do just that. Maybe call Claire first, then shower, then check on his girls, and then he really needed a beer.

tbc...


	39. Chapter 39

He did just that. In that order, with Claire first, getting an earful, then the shower. Alan was already dressed in clean clothes, handing him a cup of coffee.

"Thanks," Owen murmured. "Not just for the coffee."

"You're welcome. Delta okay?"

"Sleeping. The others are with her."

"And you want to be, too?"

"Just gonna check on her."

Alan's expression was tolerant amusement. "Go."

"Want to come?"

"I had my share of raptor therapy right now. This is pack time. They need the alpha, not the guest lecturer."

Owen emptied his coffee. "You can take the jeep back to the hotel, if you want."

Alan shook his head and walked over to the back porch that looked out over the grassland and mountains.

"Carter brought the newspapers. I'm going to just sit out there and read. You have fun."

Owen chuckled and headed over to the stables.

x XX JW XX x

It took Delta two days to get mobile, to actually limp out into the paddock. She was getting better faster after that, able to move almost normally after a week.

Owen fed her the antibiotics, checked the wounds daily, reapplying the silver spray twice.

Delta let him. She hissed when it stung and she growled at the others when they came to close as she struggled to limp gamely out into the open that first time, but she was behaving otherwise.

Owen smiled when she pushed her head against his hand.

x XX JW XX x

They trained her injured leg.

Almost relentless.

It was rehab of a difficult and special kind, but it worked.

And Alan was there.

He came by more and more often over those weeks, watching Owen work, talked about ideas how to get Delta mobile without reopening the wounds, and even though he didn't walk into the paddock, he was there.

x XX JW XX x

The day Delta walked out of the enclosure with barely a limp, thanks to the healing factor of the velociraptor genes, Alan was on the porch, watching, with barely any tension in his frame.

Blue looked at the man, then whuffled softly. She approached him, stopping about ten feet away, and chuffed.

Then she turned and rejoined the pack.

Owen, who had stood back and watched, smiled at her. They weren't leaving for a run, but he wanted the pack to mill around, let Delta work on rebuilding her musculature, and maybe hunt a few rodents and birds.

The weekend would be busy with tourists, but come Tuesday numbers usually declined a little. That would be the time for them to get a little jog in.

x XX JW XX x

"Raptors heal fast."

Owen nodded, watching the pack hunt through the grass. Tall, safe grass, not in the restricted area. They were just behind the house, scouring for small mammals or birds stupid enough to think they would be safe within the nest on the ground.

"She has a new interesting scar."

Alan smiled a little. "I think that's far from the worst that could have happened."

"Cheers." Owen raised his bottle and clinked it against Alan's.

They silently watched the four raptors and Alan was as relaxed as he had never been before. Echo had managed to grab a lizard and she cooed, trotting away. Charlie chased after her, trying to get her to drop the kill.

"I got another week," Alan remarked. "Flying home for a while, work on my papers."

Owen was silent.

"Wait for Masrani to renovate that house."

Grady blinked. "House?"

"You know, those buildings people live in," Alan teased.

"On this island?"

"I hope so."

Owen blinked again. "You're moving here?"

Alan gave him a crooked smile when Owen looked at him, still feeling in kind of a shock.

"Not permanently. I'm getting my own place, because you can only live in a hotel for so long before it gets old. Even in an apartment. So I got one of the smaller houses for when I'm here, which will be whenever I'm not on a dig or lecturing at a university."

"Cool."

Alan chuckled. "Yes, cool." He watched the pack. "I'm not saying I'm getting used to this, but maybe I am. In a strange way."

A head popped out of the grass and swiveled to look at him. Blue snorted.

"Is she listening in?"

Owen shrugged, bottle dangling from his fingers. "In a way she always listens in. The bond goes both ways. Right now she's kinda pleased you finally figured things out."

"Did I?"

Grady lifted a corner of his mouth.

"Maybe I did." Alan sounded almost thoughtful. "In a way. At least concerning them."

Blue gave a bark, head raised, chin jutting out. _About time!_

Owen snorted with laughter. _Go and play with the others_, he told her lightly.

Another bark, then she was gone.

Alan wisely didn't ask.

x XX JW XX x

When he left a few days later, Owen saw him off.

"See you in four months," he said with a smile.

"I'm actually looking forward to it. Strange, but true."

"Safe flight."

"Don't do anything stupid, kid."

"Have you met me?"

"Sadly, yes."

Owen grinned and Alan got into the helicopter. He waved when it took off, then turned to walk back down the path.

He had a lunch date with Claire to discuss park matters, then Carter wanted to see him about better cameras for the restricted area.

Full day ahead.

It would be fun.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Life in the park was never routine and it would never be seen as such, because routine could get you killed. But it had become more regular, as it used to be, less unpredictable moments.

Yes, there were the sick dinosaur babies. Yes, there was the occasional scuffle within the herds, the days where one or some of them didn't really want to be good show animals. And yes, there were the days the rex only made a brief appearance, radiating a grumpy air, eating the goat and disappearing as quickly as possible.

Laurel and Josh let her. They knew their charge. Animals had bad days as well.

But things ran smoothly.

Claire looked more relaxed now, less harried and like she wanted to just throw everything into the wind and run off.

Masrani Global had pumped so much money into the park and the good press, they would do everything to keep their most important people happy. Claire Dearing was a very important person. She was needed.

Owen had made that clear.

Zach and Grady had been back, much to Owen's surprise. Then again, they were young, they were resilient, and they had needed the confrontation with their nightmare to handle what had happened.

Actually, they had been in good spirits.

And they had insisted to see the raptors first.

The encounter occurred under Owen's close supervision, with a fence between them, and Blue rumbling softly, almost like she was cooing at them. She was looking at the boys, tail moving slightly.

"You okay?" Owen asked.

"Yeah," Zack answered slowly. "They weren't the one trying to eat us."

"They saved us," Gray said. "They fought the indominus."

Owen nodded. "They did."

"And they got hurt, too."

Blue stepped closer, nose pushing out from between the bars. Owen reached for it, rubbing over the softer skin of her nostrils. Zach and Gray watched him with big eyes.

"You're their alpha," the younger brother murmured. "They trust you. This is so cool!"

"Yes."

Blue snorted her agreement.

"Still okay?" Owen wanted to know.

Zach gave him a brief smile. "Yeah. He wanted to see the raptors. He likes them."

"So do I." Owen winked at Gray.

Blue hummed.

"So, want to get the behind the scenes tour?" he offered. "No crowds and no lines."

"Cool!"

"Yep, cool. C'mon, let's find your aunt and then we're off."

x XX JW XX x

It was an exciting day. Owen liked the boys and he was glad to see how well they took coming back to Jurassic World. Running from the i-rex had forged a strong bond of friendship. They had survived together.

The three of them had burgers and fries for lunch, a lot of ice cream as dessert, and then Owen took them to meet Nancy and her mosa before the feeding show, letting them pepper her with questions. The highlight of the day was a face-to-face close-up meeting of the mosa and the boys. She swam by the gigantic screen in the underground observatory, her rumbles clearly audible in the otherwise silent room.

"Wow!" Gray breathed. "This is even cooler than the rex!"

Nancy grinned, proud and pleased. "Don't let Laurel hear that. She thinks hers is the best."

"They're all cool, but she's the only waterbound one. It makes her special," the boy answered.

Nancy grinned. "Truer words have never been spoken."

The mosa brushed by the glass again, slow and deliberate in her movements. Nancy placed a hand against the thick glass.

"Next show is in two hours. If you want to drop by then, you're welcome, boys."

"Sure!"

x XX JW XX x

They even went into the food kitchens to watch how meat was prepared with vitamins or medication.

"Is it true that you trained the raptors to herd the gallimimus?" Gray asked as they took a break in the shade.

Owen nodded.

"Can we see it?"

Zach elbowed him, but his younger brother just gave him a glare.

"It's not a show, kids."

"I know that! But it's cool, right? Like they're shepherding!"

"That's exactly what we do. Usually to get the gallimimus into their paddocks or to just get them to move from one area to the other. Not just for fun."

Gray nodded, serious. "Okay. Can we go see them before we go back?"

"Sure."

x XX JW XX x

They spent an hour with the raptor pack, watching them, Owen talking about his girls and answering all questions the boys had. Zach was fascinated by the camera gear and the possibility that a raptor was willing to wear saddle bags.

"It doesn't bother them?"

"No. Echo's actually excited whenever I want her to gear up."

Echo gave an affirmative yip, looking attentive and excited in one.

"She… knows we're talking about… her?" Zach asked slowly.

"Yes."

"I didn't ask back then, but… you're talented, right?"

Owen nodded. Zach chewed on his lower lip.

"Zach?"

"Nothing."

Owen frowned, but he knew not to press right now. If the boy wanted to tell him something he would. If not, so be it.

"So you can just walk in there and touch them? They never hurt you?" Gray wanted to know.

"Never."

Gray's eyes were on Delta and Charlie, who were just below the viewing platform. Charlie was watching them, curious, waiting. Blue was a little further ahead, keeping an eye on the matter. Echo had decided to seek out the shade.

"I want to work with dinosaurs when I'm grown up," Gray announced.

"Got some more of that to do first," Owen teased, tousling his head.

x XX JW XX x

Both left at sundown. They were staying at their aunt's place and that was where Owen dropped them off.

Claire gave him a smile as he pulled up.

"See you tomorrow, guys," he called.

Zach and Gray waved.

Tomorrow they would visit the hatchery that wasn't part of the public tour, then do a paddle cruise. Owen had volunteered to be the tour guide for that, too. He liked the teens.

x XX JW XX x

Owen was there when Claire's nephews were ready to leave again. The weekend had been filled with fun and adventures, but not of the lethal kind. Both had enjoyed themselves, right down to spending half a day in the aquatic park and nearly getting a sunburn.

Gray was still looking through the souvenirs, Claire at his side. Zach had sought out Owen.

"Hey," Owen greeted him.

Zach looked at where his aunt and younger brother were looking through plush toys, then his eyes trailed over the coastline toward the ferry.

"When did you know you were talented?" he asked without looking at Owen.

"I can't give you an exact date, but I was around four or four and a half."

Zach nodded, silent.

"Zach?" he probed.

"When the i-rex chased us, I felt… something. Like anger. Hatred. Something that wanted us dead. I thought it was just me. My fear."

"But it wasn't?"

"I'm not sure."

"You think you're a preternatural?"

"It's not running in the family and I haven't felt anything since. At least until we visited here again."

Owen leaned his arms on the rail, eyes on the teen. "The pack?"

He shrugged. "Just… like faint echoes. Nothing like the i-rex."

"Hm."

"It's not a strong talent, right?"

"No, it isn't," he answered truthfully. What about the t-rex?"

"Another few blips."

"Do you want to work with your talent, Zach?"

"Not sure. I never had anything like that happen before. I'm not really hanging around a lot of animals. And I never was drawn to dogs or cats." Another shrug. "You think I could?"

"Your talent doesn't tell you what to do with your life, Zach. If you want to become a lawyer or an architect, do it. If you think you want to do landscaping or be in an office all day long, do it. And if you want to come back for a summer break job, ask your aunt. I think we can manage that."

Zach gave him a half-smile. "Okay."

Gray ran over, a huge t-rex plushie in his hands. Zach good-naturedly rolled his eyes, but he looked happy about the basecap his aunt gave him.

x XX JW XX x

The ferry left half an hour later.

Claire looked almost wistful.

"Already missing those two?" Owen teased.

"In a way. As bad as everything was, it did bring us closer together. I talk to my sister a lot more. And my nephews."

"Good for you."

"Any plans for tonight?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Is that an invitation?"

"For dinner, Owen Grady."

He chuckled. "Dinner sounds good."

Owen knew they didn't fit. They had tried it once. One date and it had been clear that nothing clicked. They were better friends than anything else.

And he was looking forward to a nice dinner.

tbc,,,


	40. Chapter 40

First of all: I want to thank every single one of my readers for giving this a try before the movie was even out or before we had seen more than a few trailers and tv spots. This was a first for me, too. I usually need the movie first and then start writing fanfic.

This one took over my life and grew into an epic that I hadn't planned on writing. I had once answered a question from a reader on how many more chapters with: about 14 altogether.

Now there are 40.

All because of two seconds with Chris Pratt and four velociraptors in one of the very first trailers.

I'm so easy…

This fic had started with just one scene, the one with Blue's POV, thinking about their alpha and the pack. It quickly grew from there. You see the result.

There was one question whether I would rewrite the fic after the movie comes out. The answer is no. This is an AU and watching the movie won't change it.

The movie might just give me more inspiration, though I can't go and see it until a week after it comes out since I'm on vacation starting tomorrow. Finding a theater where I go is rather unlikely. So I'll have to be patient.

And I have about three weeks to come up with new fic ideas. I'm not ready to let go of this AU just yet. I might just write smaller add-ons. I think nearly 100000 words was just a fluke :P

So once again: thank you! Thank you so much for your reviews/comments and encouragement.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Owen felt the pack with him, the hum of the other dinosaurs in the park was always present. The mosa was excited, the rex more or less ignored the gaping masses, the gallimimus flocked around the tourist-filled buses, and the herds along the river cruise were more interested in feeding than the canoes.

Half a year into the reopening of the park it was all just like before.

With so many small differences, a part of him whispered.

The pack was a now permanent presence in his mind. All four of them. His guard, his stability, his four sentinels. Guard dogs, they had been called.

Somehow it was true.

Blue and the pack patrolled. They didn't just protect their alpha, the bond, his very mind, but also the restricted area. It was their territory; theirs alone.

The bond was stable, like a solid fact, something immovable and part of him. They had gone through so much and survived.

Owen was so much more aware of things, so very receptive, and he always had to maintain basic shields. He had trained hard to be able to put them there on a moment's notice, but now they were just there. A first line of defense. A thin barrier, sure, but a barrier he could strengthen.

The pack was an integral part of that defense, was his anchoring point and as much of an offense as it was a shield.

Blue would attack whatever threatened the alpha. She was his first defender, the first to rush forward and use her powerful mind to bite at an intruder. She could be vicious that way. She would ask no questions, just launch an attack at what she thought was an alien presence.

Like the t-rex.

She still hated her, probably always would, and the pack shared that emotion. The rex was a threat, dangerous and powerful like them, and she was a mind, like the mosa, that Owen could be overwhelmed from.

Not that the t-rex really cared.

Owen had actively sat behind the scenes throughout the feeding shows and trained.

Afterwards he would spend a lot of time with his pack because he needed to balance himself again.

Before the reopening there had been no shows. There had been no schedules with excited visitors. There had been no gaping tourists, with kids running around, yelling in wonder and awe.

It was so much more and despite all the training, this was sometimes getting to him. There were times when emotions spiked, when the hunt was more real, when the hunger was deeper. With the rex and the mosa he managed. When he had tried it with the metriacanthosaurus it had been like a nail into the brain.

That were the times the pack intervened.

Almost violently.

They had pulled him out of the beginning of a migraine or fugue state, pushing back the invasion, strengthening the bond, and Owen could breathe again.

Just breathe.

_Ours._

He had never been more glad than those times.

And now.

Owen pulled in a deep breath, cursing himself. Of course he had tried the metriacanthosaurus again.

Of course it hadn't worked out.

Damn!

Blue pushed her head against his shoulder and he patted her sinewy neck. She hummed and nosed at his hand.

It helped when the pack was physically present, though taking them into the park as such was a no-go.

Having them hide in the jungle along the back roads was something different.

Blue's skin was warm and solid under his touch as he grounded himself, pushing away the raw hunger of the metriacantho as she chased after her prey, the pack one unit but not at all like his raptors.

Blue pushed her nose against his neck, into the soft skin where the neck joined the shoulder. She hummed, calm as a rock in a stormy sea, and Owen rested his head against hers.

"Thanks," he murmured. "Thought I had it this time."

_Sure._

He was good. So much better than maybe a year ago. So much better than when he had started to work for Masrani Global.

But never good enough to deal with intense spikes or interference.

_That's what we're here for._

"Which I'm glad for."

She huffed softly, warm air brushing over his skin. _They aren't a challenge, alpha. They are inconsequential._

"Translation: get off your ass and concentrate on training?"

Blue's mind-voice reflected laughter.

The pack was always there, guarding him, having his back.

"You guys are the best," he told them, surrounded by his four raptors, all humming or rumbling softly.

_You're strong on your own, alpha. You can bite back._

Yes… if push came to shove, he would be able to push back. Suddenly and painfully.

It was scary.

Blue didn't share that thought. Owen Grady was a cunning, skillful absolute alpha. As long as he didn't plan to extend the pack beyond them, she saw it as a useful ability. The bond lived off Owen's strength, made the pack stronger.

Owen never pondered it too much.

Blue suddenly raised her head, looking over Owen's shoulder, muscles tensing.

He turned and saw Carter standing not far away, brows raised, but he wasn't holding his gun or even had his hand near his weapon.

"Taking a midday stroll?"

"Training. According to your schedule there aren't any troopers around here."

"I'm not a trooper."

Owen grimaced. "I never would have noticed, Dan. What can we do for you?"

"Just checking to make sure your brain hasn't exploded."

"Not yet."

"And to tell you we're good to go tomorrow. I have a team ready to tackle the garbage problem."

The garbage problem was the residual barbed wire in the more accessible region of the restricted area. Carter had volunteered to help Owen remove what had so seriously injured Delta. It had come as a surprise.

"A team? What do you have on them that they are ready to come along when the crazy guy and his raptors are out and about?"

Dan chuckled. "I doubt we're gonna see your girls, right?"

They would be in the jungle, watching. Just watching. Humans were off limits.

"So there's no problem at all," the chief of security went on. "We'll meet you there, give you and your little squad a head start."

"Appreciated."

Blue watched him, all grace and distance. She agreed with Carter's assessment.

Dan gave them a sloppy salute, then walked away, leaving Owen and Blue to head back their own way.

x XX JW XX x

The next morning the pack left early, just before sunrise, enjoy the dawn, the fresh, cool air, the dew sticking to the grass and clinging to their skins. Echo was as always wearing the harness and Owen had packed a first aid kit, lunch and water bottles into the saddle bags. She didn't even feel the weight. Delta was the camera girl of the day.

Owen was wearing his thick leather jacket to hold off the cold, something he wouldn't need later on. The day promised moderate temperatures, but still warm enough for short sleeves.

Delta felt apprehensive about going back to where there had been so much pain in store for her, but she went.

Owen was right there for her. And the whole pack. They all felt protective of their pack mate.

x XX JW XX x

Standing at the top of the incline, looking at the grass that hid the sharp wires, Owen stroked over Delta's neck, calming her with a firm hold on her slightly upset mind.

Blue was at his other side, strong and immovable, while Charlie and Echo scouted around. He had told them to stay out of the grass, which had gotten him indignant replies. Both had explored the area the night when Alan and Owen had camped with Delta, and they knew safe routes.

But he was worried and just making sure.

Delta shifted her weight and stepped away from the site of the accident, huffing and grumbling.

"Find the others," her alpha told her. "Stay out of sight of the troopers. Same goes for you, Blue."

Blue rubbed her cheek against his shoulder, then accompanied Delta into the jungle.

x XX JW XX x

The troopers arrived no ten minutes after the pack had disappeared.

They made short work of the barbed wire and everything else in the grass, ranging from wire mesh to steel rods sticking out of the ground no ten feet away from the camp site.

"Thanks," Owen told them all as they took a break and had lunch. "Really. I appreciate the help."

"Can't have the guard dogs injure themselves," one of the men replied with a crooked grin.

"They around?" another asked.

"In a way. A far away way. Don't worry," Owen replied.

"Hey, it's in the briefings and memos," a third said, closing his half-empty water bottle. "You're the alpha. They listen to you. Standing orders for them is not to harm humans, standing orders for us is not to shoot a raptor."

"Too messy," Carter teased. "Claire wants accident reports in triplicate."

Owen scowled at him, but he appreciated the support. He knew the security teams had had such briefings, but apparently the weekly memos contained reminders.

Blue and the pack moved freely in the restricted area. No muzzles, no collars. It was theirs. The moment Owen took them into the park, like the Gallimimus Valley, they had to wear the muzzles. They weren't allowed in the publically accessible places, but the back roads, after everything had been closed, was acceptable.

Blue made sure they were never seen.

They were perfect hunters. No one would see even the tip of their tails if they didn't want to.

x XX JW XX x

They were done a little after noon, piling the debris into one of the trucks to shuttle it back to the official dump site for one of the garbage ferries to take away, unless someone from the park decided they could recycle something from the pile.

Owen headed back home, sweaty and tired, but pleasantly so.

He was rejoined by his girls just a few minutes into his ride, silent shadows melting out of the jungle and racing alongside the bike.

x XX JW XX x

He invited the troopers who had volunteered to help clean up, including their boss, for drinks a few days later.

It was a nice, relaxed evening, away from the tourists, just hanging out and relaxing.

"Making friends," Carter remarked with a smirk.

"It's always good to be friends with the guys who might shoot you."

"Orders are to only tranq you."

Owen scowled, but the humor in Dan's eyes was clear.

"Or shoot you in the ass," Carter added good-naturedly.

"Hardy har-har."

"But seriously, my men know where you stand in the natural order of things. You don't shoot the alpha of a raptor pack. You don't shoot the pack. And you don't shoot the man who keeps the island as safe as we do, too."

"I'm not security, Dan."

The other man snorted. "Yeah, right. Owen, you guys are as much guards as we are. Just behind the scenes. I know you patrol the restricted areas. I installed those cameras and sensors with you, remember? And I noticed how territorial those raptors are."

Owen made a non-committal sound.

"If we ever get poachers coming in from there, they'll be in for a terrifying experience."

"We're not always there. The pack doesn't live there."

"Cameras," Carter just reminded him.

And they could be in the restricted area in a flash.

"So, you five are on our side. We keep the tourists from getting eaten and the dinosaurs from getting harassed by well-meaning, over-enthusiastic tourists. You do the rest. And now I need another beer."

Owen watched him head over to the bar and order a pitcher for the table.

Yes, maybe Dan was right. They were the guards of the island.

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Owen and Carter continued to go out to the restricted area; always with the pack. Dan wanted to learn more about pack behavior and structure. Wanted to watch Owen work with his pack. Wanted to understand.

And he understood.

The pack accepted that there was a watcher and after a while they took him almost for granted. Charlie wasn't thrilled, but she no longer snarled at him for no good reason.

"You're really gonna stay here till the end?"

Owen shot his friend a look, brows rising. They had stopped at the old visitor center, checking on possible structural failure after the storm of last week. Owen wanted to use it as a safe house, in case he got stuck in another storm out here, but it looked like he might have to scrap that idea.

"No one knows how old raptors get, right?" Carter prodded. "One day you might even get some new additions."

He scowled. "Unless someone steals eggs from Isla Sorna, not a chance in hell."

The raptors, like all dinosaurs, were sterile. Twenty years of genetic engineering had made sure that they couldn't switch gender and couldn't reproduce asexually.

No one had wanted to take any chances.

Now Carter raised an eyebrow.

"Dan…" Owen warned.

"Nope, not saying anyone is crazy enough to go there for a few eggs, but what if you get new pack members somehow?"

"It won't matter. Masrani Global and Hammond Labs won't hatch raptor eggs."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Masrani and I have an understanding concerning genetically modified hybrids."

Carter gave a little grunt.

"And even if someone does something really stupid, I'll be here. This is my home."

"The lead alpha of the island?"

"I'm no one's alpha but the raptor pack's."

Dan smirked. "If you say so."

"I am."

x XX JW XX x

He was. Just the raptor pack's alpha. No one else's.

Just… if push came to shove, he would be able to push back, push into any dinosaur's mind.

It was scary.

Blue didn't share that thought. She never had and never would. Owen Grady was a powerful alpha. As long as he didn't plan to extend the pack beyond them, she saw it as a useful skill.

They had never directly talked about more pack members, but Blue was wired into his brain. She knew him like no one else did.

And she had told him that the pack didn't need anyone new. They functioned like a well-oiled machine. A new member was a risk.

Owen never pondered it too much.

Though Laurel once asked him.

He answered her truthfully, that he might be able to influence the rex, could already call her. He didn't really want to confirm how strong his preternatural side was.

Evolution.

Sometimes he wished he could stop it now, where it was, because he felt strong enough.

"I bet the girls don't like it," had been Laurel's only comment.

She knew more about him than Owen really wanted anyone to know.

It had drawn a faint chuckle. "Yeah. They like it that I'm that powerful, that their alpha can do this, but they won't ever accept the rex or anyone else as part of us. Not that the t-rex would even be a pack animal."

"Well, could come in handy," Laurel had told him. "If we need her to come for an exam and she's her hard-headed self, I'll give you a holler."

Right.

So not looking forward to that.

Laurel laughed at his expression and patted his arm. "Just kidding. Don't want to end up on your pack's shit list."

x XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX xx XX JW XX x

Alan stood next to Owen, overlooking the park, watching people stream toward the attractions. He had returned yesterday, cutting his absence short.

It had been three months and five days.

The house was done and Reggie had already told everyone that they would have a house-warming party.

Bookings were still through the roof and there had been more than enough positive voices about the reopening. People felt sympathetic, wanted to show their solidarity. The Hilton was booked solid and no one would be able to get a room on short notice for the next year.

The professor flinched when twigs cracked and leaves whispered as Blue stepped out of the jungle, making enough noise not to absolutely terrify the man. She did it on purpose to give him a heads-up, which Alan appreciated but couldn't get used to.

Her cool gaze met his slightly widened eyes, then she huffed softly, sounding pleased, when Alan relaxed again. Blue nodded.

"Is she actually giving me the pat on the head?" Alan asked, scowling.

Owen chuckled. "If you think so."

He had touched her almost automatically, patting her sinewy neck. Touch was important.

For him as much as for his pack.

Blue hummed.

The rest of the pack seemed to melt out of the jungle and Alan valiantly didn't take a step back. Echo yipped, eyeing him curiously. She had taken a liking to the professor, who had yet to look excited about it.

"Pack time," Owen told Alan. "Have fun with your lecture."

Alan gave him a half smile. "It's a group of prepubescent kids."

"You can do it."

"Me and kids never really mixed."

"You'll rock the auditorium."

"Pep talk, really?"

"Go, professor, go?" Owen laughed.

It got him a half-hearted glare.

"Well, let's get going," the alpha announced, rubbing over Blue's muzzle.

She rumbled with pleasure. The yips of the pack told him how much they were looking forward to it.

"See you Friday at the party."

Alan rolled his eyes. "Reggie is going a little overboard."

"He means well. And we're happy to have you back."

Echo whuffled, agreeing. Alan gave her a narrow-eyed look. She answered it with a tilt of her head.

"If she's trying for cute, it's not really working. Velociraptors are not fluffy and cute."

Grady laughed. He had told Echo to give Alan room, not to crowd in, and not to expect him to be at ease in her presence.

It was a process that had just started. Alan Grant wasn't going to forget the past just like that.

Alan walked over to his jeep to head toward the theme park. Owen was already on his bike, smiling widely at the prospect of some quality time.

This was what he loved more than anything.

To open up, to let his mind soar with the pack, but never enough to lose control. He felt their strength, individuals and as a pack. He experienced their power as they ran, their hunger as they hunted, their cunning technique in cornering and bringing down prey, and he felt the unique support within and among them.

He was there for all of it.

With Blue at his side.

As it should be.


End file.
